


Visions

by 19lams5



Series: In a galaxy far far away... [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-23
Updated: 2018-12-21
Packaged: 2019-08-28 04:38:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 28,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16716729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/19lams5/pseuds/19lams5
Summary: Luke's turn to the dark side suprised everyone. Yet perhaps it should not have been, for history is doomed to repeat itself. A prequel to Redemption.





	1. Serenity

**Author's Note:**

> This is a prequel to Redemption, though reading that is not necessary to understand this story. Even so, please do check out that work as it is completed, and might bright you some fun in guessing how the plots will line up in the end.

“Not now Luke.” Mara hissed, glaring lasers at the Jedi master. Dressed in a simple black jumpsuit with matching black boots, Mara Jade, former Emperor's Hand, had left her Imperial life far behind. Confronted with the shocking revelation that the monster she was trained to kill was no monster, she had been coaxed out of her loyalty to the Emperor by Luke's greatest weapons-compassion and trust. Yet Mara would never fit in, couldn't fit in. The Republic he so supported was corrupt and inefficient, completely inept of resolving even the smallest disputes. She still believed in the necessity of the Empire, bringing order and stability to the galaxy. Mara didn't even know why she cared what he thought. But a part of her did. And Mara was not happy with that.

“Mara. Just tell me what’s wrong?” Luke asked concerned, his blue eyes staring deeply and sorrowly at Mara’s flaming emerald orbs. Wearing his favourite black jedi robes, his soft face gestures nearly melted Mara's anger. Truth be told she didn't know why she was lashing out at him. He had been her sole defender, even when she declared her intention to kill him. Steeling her cold and calculating face, she noted Luke sensed her resolve waivering, decided it was time to end the conversation.

“You are just so...ugh!” Mara stumbled for words. Perhaps she was indeed wrong. But then again, it didn’t matter. Not finding the words was frustrating her to no ends. She was done with this conversation.

“What Mara? Just tell me!” Luke said, an edge of desperation and frustration in his tone. Good, Mara thought.

“Why do you care? You have Leia, Han and all your pathetic followers. Stop being greedy and trying to get me because I'm the one person who won't blindly follow you!” 

Before Luke could get in another line Mara had stormed off, her eyes narrowed dangerously, cheeks flushed a tomato red and a dark, aggressive aura surrounding her. Standing at one point six meters, she did not have an impressive build. But even the ignorant bystander knew to step away. The ex-hand had an impressive reputation, those who didn't hate her, which wasn't a lot, respected her. People who weren't in this category were those lucky enough to never have encountered her, or dead. People also stood aside from a fuming Luke Skywalker, though more out of respect rather than the sheer fear that made most cow away from Mara. Few individuals could rouse up the calm and collected Jedi Master. Few dared imagine the conversations between the unlikely pair.

Leia watched as the two fuming figures stode away for each other, running towards Luke and looking slightly silly as she strained to match his long strides. Han followed suit, jogging at a slightly rushed pace and letting loose a few strained breath. Neither were as fit as Luke, and it easily showed. Afterall usually people ran after them, not the other way around.

“Luke,” a concerned Leia began, but her brother silenced her with a held up hand. “Not now,” Luke hissed, his eyebrows furrowed and a faint hint of red on his face. Leia grimaced and recoiled, slightly shocked at his out of character hostility. It was quite scary to see the cool and collected jedi master rage over anything. He quickly softened his glance, his eyes almost pleading with Leia. “Sorry, I shouldn’t take this out on you. I just need some time,” Luke admitted.

Leia nodded understandingly. She was caught off guard at his sudden outburst. Whatever he had been talking to that blasted Emperor’s Hand about had definitely taken its toll. Leia was left standing slightly saddened and annoyed as she watched Luke’s silhouette turn a corner in the empty corridors of the Imperial Palace’s upper levels. She would break the imperial's legs, ex-hand or not, if Luke did not see a significant improvement in his emotional state soon. Leia was concerned enough for his traumatic life. Pulled from a desert planet, sent to blow up the largest battlestation in history, following a strange religion thought extinct under a lying hermit having his hand chopped off and finding out his father epitomized the Empire, a force that caused misery across the galaxy and conflicted everything he stood for and believed in. Certainly Luke had experienced more suffering than most in a lifetime, and Leia was certainly deserving of this statement, being forced to watch her family get vaporized by the Death Star. But his suffering was unique. At least she lived in some comfort. He had spent his life in a boring, poor but peaceful childhood. The fact that he often spoke so highly of the step-parents his real father had murdered only worsened the suffering Leia imagined Luke bottled up.

She placed her hands on her hips and let out an exasparated sigh, knowing she needed to let her brother calm down but certainly not liking it, staring helplessly as her brother sulked off. Her big sister senses clicked in, and it took all of her resolve to not run after him. As he caught up, Han embraced her tightly, and she melted in his arms. At least someone wanted her. A peck to her lips lifted Leia’s spirits quickly, and she eagerly pressed against the slightly surprised but equally eager smuggler. The New Republic officers in the vicinity quickly cleared out, leaving General Leia Organa and her companion with some much needed privacy. After what seemed and well could have been forever, the couple broke apart, slightly gasping for air. Leia blushed slightly, and Han’s face lit up with his trademark grin. “Wow,” was all Leia got out before they were locked in an embrace again, slowly walking towards Leia’s quarters. At that moment both felt as if the other was the only person in the universe.

Luke stared out the window, a wide viewscreen that stretched from the floor to the ceiling. From it, he stared out at the panoramic view of the bustling evening traffic of Coruscant. The sun was just setting, and its hazy yellow glow blanketed the streets in its warm, sunny hue. Even in his frustration it brought a smile to his face. Staring out at the beautiful scene always lifted his heart. Even after all these years there was still the bit of farmboy that marvelled at the dance of lights. Then he sensed Leia's burst of elation. Luke's feelings sunk at the prospect. He had coaxed Han and Leia into starting a relationship. Both had doubted each other after their kiss on Endor, Leia too busy with New Republic tasks and Han with building his trading business. Yet Luke had worked his farm boy magic, setting up romantic encounters for them as much as he could within the packed schedule of a Jedi Master trying to lobby the New Republic for funding. Even with Leia, Mon Mothma and others support in the government, outside the military where they wanted to elect Luke as chief of state there were skeptics like the up and rising Daala, who happened to appoint the annoying bothan Fey'lya as her deputy. 

Luke lamented at his own life. It was supposed to be the pinnacle of his career. It had been just over two years since he’d saved his father on the Second Death Star. A few skirmishes with the disorganized and chaotic Imperial Remnant later, the New Republic’s foundation had been laid. Now he had the time to take things down a notch, reflect on himself and hone his abilities, most of all, organize his relationships. As it turned out, fighting a war was seemingly easier. Mara epitomized this, her fiery nature searing into him every time they met. And not only metaphorically. She had made him climb a closing trash compactor for her entertainment. When Leia found out, she nearly chopped his left arm off in anger. It took much convincing to calm her enough not to murder Mara on sight.

Leia, well Leia was just the same. Always held up in committee meetings and senate this or council that. Luke honestly didn’t know or care. He was happy for Leia of course, all of this was her dream. But he couldn’t help but hold a slight resentment that Leia never found time for jedi training, or even just family outings. He remembered the times during the Alliance where they would eat together, just Leia, Han, Chewie, Winter and him. But now that had been torn away from him. Han was busy tending to his commision as General and his “legitimate” business that he just happened to keep away from the prying eyes of his companion. Chewie was mostly by Han’s side or with his family on Kashyyyk, and Winter was always by Leia’s side. That left him, the odd man out. Perhaps this is why he wanted Mara. Afterall she did prove quite entertaining, if slightly deadly, as company. But no, there was something more to it. Luke couldn’t deny that.

When his doorbell rang, he reached out with the force, feeling a heavily shielded presence. Could it be? Luke tried not to get his hopes up. He was always the optimist, though, and a part of him told him he would not be dissapointed. It couldn't be Leia, she always opened up to him. There was also the fact that she was in some briefing right now, and General Leia would give a kidney away before she skipped a meeting. Han would be with her, certainly less enthusiastic but unwilling to allow Leia to tear his organs apart for missing the "important" discussions which often culminated in little more than petty squabbles, pointed fingers and frustrated tacticians.

When the door hissed open, Luke was not disappointed. Overjoyed in fact. In front of him was a slightly uncomfortable and regretful Mara Jade. Her eyes had slight dimples, betraying what Luke suspected to be tears. Before he began, Mara wrapped her arms around him, flinging herself onto the jedi as she let out a quiet sniff. Luke was completely taken off guard, stiffening for just a fraction of a second before melting in the embrace, taking in the flowery scent that Mara loved to use. Luke bottled down his excitement, suddenly feeling slightly concerned.

As he pulled back slightly, he led Mara inside, closing the door before beginning what he hoped would not completely ruin the moment. “Mara, what’s wrong?”

Mara stared at him for a second, shielding still ever tight as, much to Luke’s disappointment. However, he would have little time to dwell on that, as Mara Jade completely broke down, hugging onto Luke like a ysalamiri to a tree. She sobbed slightly, as Luke soothed her and ran his fingers gently through her hair. Sniffing, her face lighting up slightly into a grin. She let out a satisfied moan, nuzzling against Luke’s warm body as they sat on the edge of the bed. “Take a walk with me? I need some fresh air, and you need some exercise.” Her voice ended with a playful quip, bringing a smirk to both their faces. It was an old joke after what happened on Wayland.

Luke eagerly accepted, and the duo walked hand in hand through the palace corridors side by side as equals, making strange turns that Luke didn’t recognize. Mara could bag her victory about making a snide on Luke's lack of exercise recently, as he admitted his legs strained slightly more than he cared to admit. True he was out of shape, but he was still one of the fittest soldiers in the New Republic. Even without the force he could easily best the Republic's elite commandos in sheer endurance. But in the moment he didn’t care, even so far as to support her. If this helped her through whatever inner turmoil she was going through, he was happy. Contently following wherever Mara wanted to lead them to, Luke felt his danger sense tingle slightly. He immediately clamped down at the traitorous thought, hoping Mara didn't pick up on it. Unfortunately, it seemed she had, her slightly colder expression giving this away and clearly illustrating her dissapointment. Mara walked slightly ahead, in a brisk but not obviously impatient stride. Luke. the taller of the duo, easily kep pace, respectfully a step back to allow Mara some space after hearing his doubts. He would follow his friend on what would likely culminate in an interesting adventure.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, they emerged in what Luke presumed was a basement, but something was wrong. The air was pierced by the mechanical breathing that was all to familiar. A deadly hum pierced the room as a red blade snapped to life, illuminating the room in a crimson shade and revealling the towering silhouette of a black suit adorned with a silber shoulder guard, Luke could not believe his eyes, would not believe his eyes. But standing in front of him was the Dark Lord of the Sith. Not the redeemed Anakin Skywalker, the true Dark Lord of the Sith. Luke didn't know how, but he knew. He turned to Mara in shock and feeling betrayed, but she simply kneeled and bowed her head, and boiling rage began to bubble inside the Jedi.


	2. Piece by piece

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darth Vader must face his son and succeed where he failed prior. Tearing into Luke's weaknesses, Darth Vader faces a ticking clock before Luke's friends begin looking for their hero. The sith lord does not intend to take so long.

Sensing his doubts, Darth Vader advanced with confident stride, blood red blade still ominously guarding his side, simply stating, “You are truly naive then. You think I would turn so easily? I escaped from the shuttle as you gathered the materials for the pyre. In your moment of grief, you failed to notice I had replaced myself with the corpse of a dead rebel guard.”

Vader seemingly leeched onto Luke’s horror and disgust, almost smiling underneath the dark mask that the galaxy used to tremble beneath. Almost. He allowed himself the satisfaction of suprising his son. After years of plotting, the pieces had come together. Now Vader had to put the final piece in his place. Luke Skywalker must be no more. “You will join me son, or your friends will pay the price.” 

Luke full well understood the implications. Besides, he hadn’t much choice. He suspected that the Dark Lord had somehow managed to use a mind trick on Mara or something. The real Mara would never betray him. Not like this. Then again, he was probably fooled thanks to his clouded judgement and desperate desire to be with Mara. The elation he felt was a rare treasure. Ar least he would have that. Luke tried to control thge emotions inside his mind, feeling as if he would choke and drown from the stormy thoughts. “She is a clone, far superior to that pathetic excuse for an Emperor’s hand, I might add,” Vader’s mechanical voice coldly and bluntly declared, seemingly answering the question both knew Luke held, and shattering any comfort he might have found with a convoluted excuse. Darth Vader never understood why Luke was so trusting. He had chopped off the boy's hand to make a statement. But Luke still looked at him with compassion and even pity. This unnerved Darth Vader more than he would admit. Perhaps there was a light flickering dimly within him. But that did not matter. He was Darth Vader, Lord of the Sith, heir to the Empire. He had his mission set for him. He would not fail. Not like his master. Not like his former self.

Luke considered his options for escape. He could bolt for the turboshaft lift. But Darth Vader had the force, and could probably crush it. Jade was also positioned behind him, as in anticipation for this move and ready to intercept him. She narrowed her eyes as if reaffirming her control. He spotted a balcony on top. Perhaps he could find a vent if lucky, but he doubt he would be fast enough. He eyed several other options. None ended well. He knew this, but as if feeling the need to reaffirm their power dynamic, Darth Vader held up his hands, and Luke was rooted to the floor, unable to move a single cell as the dark lord controlled every fiber of his being. Luke suddenly winced at a pain coming from his neck. His eyes darted to the right, and a slightly remorseful Mara Jade removed a needle from his neck, cruelly smirking but sending a hesitant apology to him outside the earshot of Vader's probe. Luke guessed she didn't have much of a choice. Darth Vader was a person who did not take no for an answer. Thousands of choked Imperial officers could testify to that. He heard rumors from defectors that he had killed half the Bespin garrison after Luke refused to join him.

Luke looked at his father questioningly, and he explained, “You were just injected with a force restraining shot. It will weaken your connection with the force.” 

Luke was completely baffled. If anything, he would think the dark lord would use a force amplifier to boost his power as a pawn. Darth Vader surveyed his face silently, goading for a reaction. Luke was calm and accepting, much to the Sith Lord's frustration. "Perhaps you need some motivation," Vader stated, tossing Luke's weapon to the floor in a humiliating clank, allowing it to roll dejected on the floor before releasing his force hold on the young Skywalker. Luke did not disappoint, whipping out his lightsaber by a call of the force. and slashing at the Dark Lord. But Luke was not used to losing the force, and stumbled when human strength was pit against both the mechanical strength and force honed skills of Darth Vader. It did not help the dark lord had increased his skills in the years since their last duel, easily surpassing Luke. Luke held back, tring to center himself and stay on the defensive until he could get a grasp of what was happening. However, Darth Vader had no intention on going easy with his son. He would show the boy the full power of the dark side. He would succeed to convert him where the dead Emperor Palpatine had failed.

Luke struggled against Darth Vader’s barrage. Darth Vader's technique was a collahe of forms three four and five, with unorthodox force attacks chipping away at Luke's focus. Being cut of from the force felt like losing a sense. He could still try and fight but there was no denying he was weak. The dark lord’s red saber danced in a flurry of light, left, right, feint, slash, jab, parry, slash. Luke began to falter, and Darth Vader sneered. “You are weak, my son. Now you will learn of the power of the dark side.” Luke tried to launch a powerful strike, catching Darth Vader slightly off balance and moving in for a Sun Djem. However this attempt failed when Vader retracted his blade, thrusting towards Luke's legs and threatening to commit a mou kei. Luke knew well enough that he had to pull back, jumping back in what should have been an elegant sai. But his jump went off balance as Darth Vader pressed his attack. Luke commited to holding back, only riposting when there was a clear opening. But the Sith's blade moved as though Luke faced three of them, elegantly while with brute force and overpowering Luke's Djem So, much to the young Jedi's frustration. As Luke jumped back on a balcony, Vader followed suit. The Sith was suprised when Luke rebounded from his landing, immediately charging towards Vader mid-air and knocking into the Sith with such force he was flung back, momentarily stunned as Jade watched impressed. "Impressive. Most impressive," Vader stated in his cold, mechanical voice. Luke gritted his teeth, beadds of sweat betraying the toll the serum Vader concocted had on him. 

As if sensing Luke's hesitation at the effects of the serum, Vader ominously advanced, raising his blade above his head before jumping over a distraught Luke, forcing the Jedi to spin around and face the sith. Suprised and off guard at the Sith's suprising mobility, Vader simply commented, "I have improved my suit vastly." Luke feinted left before slashing right, but Vader's blade met his as the more experienced Dark Lord anticipated his move. Luke decided to risk it and deactivated his blade momentarily, fluidly slipping past Vader's red blade as he ducked, managing to slash at Vader's knee guard before the Sith lord lept back. Luke raised his blade in defensive posture, similar to Obi-Wan's soresu. This noticably angered the Dark Lord, and he lept forward with mechanical strength empowered by the force. Green and red blades met again, exchanging sparks and illuminating the room in a dim hue as the clone of Jade looked on in awe, barely able to register the flashes of red and green. She knew first hand of her master’s strength. He had not joked that the young Skywalker was strong. He did not hold back, even when the boy was weakened and cut off from the force.

But alas it was too much for the jedi, and after several more minutes Vader slashed through Luke’s prosthetic arm, his shrieks of pain and agony echoing on the walls of the large and old chamber. This brought back very unpleasant memories for Luke. Bespin. He thought he had grown since then. How wrong he had been. As he felt dark shadows take over his vision, the last thing he felt was a wincing pain on the back of his head as the galaxy faded to darkness, unable to resist Vader's force choke after so much. At least he would die a jedi.

Darth Vader towered over the downed jedi, slightly wheezing at the effort he used. The boy was impressive, no doubt. He would truly make a great sith. “Take him to his quarters. See to it that he gets the medical attention he needs. The interrogations begin in six hours.

Jade acquiesced, adorning a stone cold expression but inside feeling concern for Luke's well being and slightly excited in truth. She had been shown holos of Luke and read all about the boy. She felt something towards him. Something she could not put her finger on. Yet instead of frustration she felt...elation. True, he was the boy who blew up the biggest battlestation in hjstory at the time without training before ressurecting the jedi way and forming his own elite squadron of pilots all before the age of twenty. Jade enjoyed this, had dreamt about it and wanted it to happen. Wanted to meet Luke, even like this. Did she? Sure seeing Luke beaten so badly hurt, but touching her soft and delicate skin on his rough and battered ones, running her fingers through his silky blond hair, it all felt right. A part of her knawed at following Darth Vader after seeing his brutality towards Luke. She knew it couldn't be. Even if he did feel an attraction towards Mara, a suggestion Vader made very clear was not true and not something she should allow herself to consider, Jade was not the real Mara. It couldn't work. She would simply have to enjoy the presence of the boy, however unwilling, while she had him.

When Luke came to, he felt himself floating in the familiar translucent blue bacta he often found himself in. As he slowly came to his senses, he remembered what had happened, almost wishing he had died. But that was not to be. He felt his father lift him out of the bacta tank forcefully using the force, placing him on a cold metal surface before locking down restraints. Before he could muster resistance, a needle pierced his right arm, and Luke suddenly felt the force fade away. Correction, abruptly cut off. The place it held was now hollow, and a dejected Luke could only watch helplessly as his father ignited his lightsaber, slowly searing off his skin a bit by bit. Fatigue and pain locked hands, surrounding Luke in a cold embrace as his mind shuddered.

Luke refused to writhe and cry against the cold metal restraints that bound his whole body. His eyes closed almost peacefully as his father slashed again and again for what seemed like hours until he finally stopped. Luke let out an exhausted breath, but suddenly felt himself being torn apart from the inside. In his haze, he could barely make out Darth Vader’s cold voice, “If only...the ability...not perfected...still effective.” Scrunching his face in pain, he felt his body shake uncontrollably against the metal restraints, the intense rubbing against the metal exastrabating the effects of Vader's skinning minutes prior. Blood trickled down everywhere, but Luke didn't care. Frankly bleeding out was a luxury at this point. Then again, he knew Vader would never allow it.

Luke pieced together that his father was using some force torture technique, and though not perfect, it sure as hell was effective. Each of his cells were being torn into shreds before being bashed back together, then swiftly split again. Luke couldn’t take anymore. His body had given up, and even his mind faltered, the rebel spirit slowly slipping away. He had resisted letting any sound of agony escape for the first hour, refused to squirm until the third, but by the sixth, he couldn’t do it anymore, succumbing to his body involuntarily acting out. Before he knew it, Luke was unconscious again, though in his nightmare he continued to experience the painful sensations his father introduced to him in consciousness. He felt himself retreating deeper into his mind. Deep into once cherished memories. But he would have no rest. The darkness constantly surrounded him, the shadows probing him and slowly corrupting safe haven after safe haven.

Darth Vader observed his son thoughtfully, loosening the restraints and returning him to the bacta tank. He was impressed. Very impressed. Even with the force cut off courtesy of the injection, the boy had managed to last a whole hour before even letting loose any hint of pain. Darth Vader questioned his own ability to replicate such a feat. It prided him that he had such a powerful son. One day he would hold up the mantle of dark lord of the sith.

For now though, Darth Vader was stuck with a very injured and soulless Luke. In merely three days-most of it being Luke in a bacta tank-Darth Vader had torn apart Luke Skywalker piece by piece until there was nothing left. Soon it would be time to rebuild. Time to rebuild the broken and shattered remains of what was once Luke’s soul. 

“You will turn to the dark side, my son.”

“Never.”

“We shall see.”

Darth Vader raised his hand, probing Luke's weakened mental barriers and uneasily breaking through, slowly corrupting and twisting memory after memory. "No..." was all Luke managed to repeat weakly throughout as his body shifted uncomfortably in the restraints. Five hours passed before the Sith Lord decided the shift was over, needing to recover himself. Wordlessly, he ended the probe, levitating Luke into the bacta tank before proceeding to leave. Luke unconsciously allowed his shoulders to droop as the Sith Lord exited the chamber. Watching his father's cape billow obediently behind his towering black figure before the snap hiss confined his view to the room, Luke thought about his life. It seemed everything he lived for was a lie. But he had to rest. He had to fight this. For Han. For Leia. For Mara.

Three more days passed. Three days of Darth Vader using various techniques to slowly chip away at what remained of the eroded boy’s will to fight. Three agonizing days of Luke’s resistance against his father slowly being drained. He had kept up so long by thinking of his friends and family. But the pain was simply too much. Every memory, every thought was washed away, corrupted by his father’s memory manipulation. Every moment of his life was used against him. Fear. Anger. Hate. Luke felt all these emotions surface. Yes. He hated his father with every fiber of his being. He could imagine himself. Choking his father slowly to death. No, using force lightning and breaking his father’s suit piece by piece. Or even better, crushing his father cell by cell until every bit of the wretched Sith was gone. It would be easy enough when he broke free. The Dark Lord had implanted visions of various dark side abilities. Luke knew he could easily master those powers given the chance.

Jade watched for the six days at the Luke Skywalker she lured into the trap. The proud and naive boy that had came in was now little more than a shell of agony and loss. She almost felt bad for him, for he never once held anger at her. She could sense his thoughts clearly, Luke’s mind being completely ripe for the picking with the force no longer his ally. Sure, even the naive boy had began to feel true hatred for the Dark Lord after the second day, pure, unyielding hatred, but never for Mara. She searched long and deep, but the only mention she could find was...remorse. It confused her to no end, though it was probably just a side effect of focusing all his hatred on his father. Yet there was something more. She had been taught by Darth Vader to feel a level of attraction towards Luke in preparation to breed a new generation of Sith with him. She didn't hate the idea, not least because the farm boy was actually attractive. But meeting him had defiled most of Jade's expectations. He was kind and caring, certainly not the fool or weakling Darth Vader had described. She was almost impressed with his resistance, if she didn't know how futile it was.


	3. Memories

Six days. Luke had been gone for six days. Leia paced the security room in frustration, biting on her lip and quashing the urge to lash out. Security cameras had somehow gone down for an entire hour. The hour when she suspected Luke had left. This left her completely clueless to his whereabouts. It did not help that his force presence was missing. She had a bad feeling about this. When even the former Imperial pretending to be disinterested appeared concerned about Luke, it was a bad sign. She finally relented, storming off to her quarters and disappointed, breaking the news to an equally concerned Han.

"Did he make contact?" Han asked, clearly desparate for any scrap of information on the kid.

Leia looked at him with a menacing glare, snarling, "What do you think?" 

Han recoiled slightly, but brushed this hostility off and wrapped his arms around the distraught General with conviction. She let loose a stream of tears, finally allowing the calm and controlled facade of General Leia to fade away, allowing the real Leia Organa out in a much needed outburst. "It's okay princess, I'm here," Han soothed. Leia pulled back, tears still brimming from her eyes, stating with a grin, "I know." 

Her eyes twinkled hazel mischeviously, and Han lifted her bridal style to their bed, Leia giggling and pretending to struggle against Han. For hours they lay together on the bed, wrapped comfortably in each other's arms as they thought of their lost friend. Both were extremely close to the kid, and it unnerved them that he dissapeared so randomly. Since when did Luke run off? Bespin. Hoth. Dagobah. Endor. Perhaps more often than either would care to admit. But something was different.

“Anakin,” Darth Vader’s meditation was interrupted by a soft yet firm voice. The Sith's eyes widened in suprise, shock and fear. This was a moment he had spent years dreaming about. Preparing for. But now that it came, he felt lost. More unsure about how to proceed that in the simulations he ran in his mind. A dark voice called for him to remain strong, not to accept the treachery of his former wife. A soft and warm voice, one suppressed by years of murders and darkness, pleaded him to accept her. 

“That name means nothing to me,” Darth Vader boomed menacingly. 

“Then there’s no reason for me to stay,” Padmé's force ghost replied slightly sadly, slightly disappointed. 

“Why come back in the first place?” He sneered, but felt his resolve falter under her soft gaze.

Padme glared at the machine that now inhabited the body of her lover. “I’m not doing this for you. I’m doing this for Luke. You hurt my son.”

“I am helping my son fulfill his destiny,” Darth Vader stated, but both could feel his resolve faltering. Still he stressed the fact that Luke was his son just as much as hers.

“By torturing my son?” Padme exclaimed, clearly frustrated and angered, but instantly regretting it as the Sith's face hardened again, a grim aura radiating from his body..

“It was necessary. I took no pleasure from it,” Darth Vader replied coolly. Padme simply glowered at the Sith, who in turn let out a low warning growl.

“If you won't change then I don’t see any reason why I should stay,” Padme lamented.

“Wait, no. Please,” Anakin screamed, half in anger, half in desperation. The light finally regained control, usurping the darkness's mantle and firm grim on Anakin's soul. Free from his chains, Anakin simply looked at her, eyes full of love as they did decades ago. Padme looked deep in his eyes, and knew she had finally saved Anakin. 

Jade respectfully bowed her head as she left the room, leaving her master and the force ghost she presumed was his wife to speak alone. If anything, it provided her with a chance to meet Luke privately while he was distracted. Truth be told she was slightly scared Darth Vader would lash out. She decided to use this time to check Luke, brushing aside the Dark Lord's tantrums. Luke had been the main victim of his uncontrolled rage. A part of Jade was thankful. She had been untouched for most of the past week. The boy, on the other hand, had gone through six days of grueling pain with little rest. The Dark Lord’s patience was horrible. She knew this first hand. She felt slightly guilty for her grim but pulsating curiosity.

Session 1: His skin was peeled off by the Sith Lord's lightsaber. Then he forcefully barged into Luke's mind, tearing savagely at bits and pieces of his memories.

Session 2: When the Dark Lord entered the room, Luke simply stared at him emotionessly, restrained to the cold metal table beside Jade. The Sith walked until he was directly in front, raising his hand towards Luke's head as the force surrounding him began to shift and tremble violently. Luke had his mind barraged by the Dark Lord's probe, with such intensity that the Dark Lord had to take an uncharacteristic rest from exhaustion afterwards. For eight hours in a row, a constant battle between Luke shielding his memories with whatever scrap of resistance he could muster, and the Dark Lord an unwielding wave of darkness, engulfing the defences and probing it for weakness, or more often than not, simply launching a brute assault from all vectors until the energy deprived defences crumbled, allowing the Sith Lord to twist Luke's memories, hopes and dreams into visions of suffering, loss and death. Luke resisted at every turn, delaying the Sith Lord and forcing him to exert much more force energy than expected. The Dark Lord's hand shook like a shiver had gone through his spine everytime he finally managed to break Luke's stubborn defence, this endeavor clearly taking its toll on the veteran force user. When Vader finally decided to end the exercise and retire for a rest, he left without a word, exiting the room with his cape billowing behind and wheezing with great exertion. Mara had to lift Luke's limp body into the bacta tank, attaching the tubes to his limp body. It felt odd to handle the great Jedi like a ragdoll, but she could understand his weakness in the face of such darkness.

Session 3: When the Dark Lord returned Luke's strength had impressively recovered, though not to the same level as before. Darth Vader reattached a mechanical hand to Luke and turned on the maximum sensitivity setting before chopping it off in one swift stroke. To Jade and his suprise, Luke didn't blink, simply staring at the Dark Lord's helmet and piercing his soul, clearly unnerving him as he hesitated for a few moments before punching Luke with his clenched fist. Then he repeatedly choked Luke until he bordered unconsciousness, repeating it over and over again. Luke had refused to let out any sign of weakness still, even when Darth Vader threatened to end his life unless the Jedi begged. Jade would never forget the accepting and defiant stare Luke managed to give the Dark Lord, sensing the Dark Lord's rage surfacing, and behind that a bit of simmering pride at the boy's resistance. Jade was mind boggled at the boy's physical and mental dexerity, knowing any lesser being would have easily crumbled into ashes. But when the session ended, Darth Vader seemed more tired than the boy, who still stared on as if nothing happened. Darth Vader, on the other hand, had broken cybernetic hands and deep wheezing breaths from repeatedly punching his son. He was even able to pick himself up, deciding to rest on the metal surface rather than return to the bacta. Jade would have offered her bed to the poor soul, but he rejected this kindly before she even asked. Jade was completely baffled at his ability to read her without the force, and she was trained to hide her thoughts. Even with such prowess his tone was without any hint of arrogance and superiority Jade despised. Nothing but a warm and pure tone of truthfulness.

Session 4: As if trying to conjure up bad memories, Darth Vader had Luke subject to torrents of electric shocks while dunked into a water tank, half drowning as he struggled. Each shock forced his body to convulse briefly, squeezing out his lung's air and forcing the Jedi to struggle against fainting. He still resisted any attempt to force an escape or even attack the container's edges, simply resigning to a calm meditation pose. A greater intensity and frequency of bolts did little to uproot the Jedi's tranquil expression. After thirty minutes, Vader conceded that the boy would quite literally drown before giving a hint of emotions. Reluctantly, he lifted the boy with his hand in a tight grip, observing his shivering but controlled and quiet breaths before tossing him uncereminiously back into the tank for another struggle, making sure his back hit the edge of the metal water tank. Luke didn't even flinch. Repeating this dozens of times before Luke's body finally gave way to fatigue, the Dark Lord left with undeniable pride in his son's resiliance, deciding to put his son's body carefully into the bacta tank before leaving.

Session 5: Darth Vader stared at his defiant son as Jade injected various serums and chemicals into Luke, causing the boy to fluctuate between drowsiness, angst and numbness, depriving his senses of any stability or consistently and constantly forcing him off balance. Even without the force, Luke's body put up stiff resistance, only beginning to show cracks and falter after Vader unleashed his most potent toxins. Without the force depriving serum, Jade would have sworn he could easily beat these. Even without he had managed to remain quiet, unwilling to give the Sith the concession he expected. In fact the Dark Lord had grown so frustrated half way through he left, ordering Jade to continue it and to comm him when the boy broke. His confident assertion would be ill advised. Jade intended to allow the boy to rest, but he simply told her to do what she had to, that he didn't want her to pay the price for his defiance. This made Jade even more reluctant to do so, not wanting to hurt someone who she cared, and even more importantly, cared for her. No one had ever done so, and it was...refreshing. When Darth Vader stormed in several hours later, he froze for a moment at the doorway at his son's impassive stare. Clenching his fists, Luke was choked, but refused to give any hint of emotion. Darth Vader swivelled on the spot and strode out, clearly to sulk of and launch an outburst for a bruised set of expectations.

Session 6: Darth Vader walked in with grim determination radiating off him, and through the metal helmet stared at Luke with almost a grim excitment. If Luke was scared, he didn't show it, though Jade suspected he knew the Dark Lord had a new strategy. Luke was subject to Vader forcing in visions of Leia, Han, Chewbacca, and Winter suffering and dying, forcing the boy to watch helplessly as his friends and family seemed to perish before him. Even with drugs Skywalker had not yielded to any sign of emotion until forced to relieve the initial shock of seeing Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen dead. Darth Vader had known from early on from the childhood abuse Luke suffered, impressed that he still managed to forgive and love them truly. Suprise. That also persisted in the Sith's mind, that of all the people it was visions of his childhood tormentors perishing painfully that pushed the jedi to betray his bottled emotions in an outburst of pain and anger. It mattered little. Darth Vader's patience had paid off, after just shy of three days.

The next days had been a period of deteriation for Luke, as hate began to leak out uncontrollably like water through a cracked dam, clearly helped along by Vader's goading and the continued torture for three more days. Luke was oddly peaceful for a man who went through so much. Perhaps he had gotten used to the pain. But that was impossible! No one could adapt to this level of suffering.

She nearly jumped when his eyes opened. But they were not the angry yellow eyes she would expect. No, they were soft and kind blue eyes, if a bit less lively and hopeful. But given what he’d gone through, Jade couldn’t understand how Luke could look at her with such...love?

Perhaps it was guilt. Perhaps it was affection. But Jade couldn’t help but feel something for the boy. It couldn’t be love. Jade knew not of love. But yet hate counsels not such a quality. As if sensing this, Luke gave a reassuring smile. Jade was infuriated! He had disarmed her so easily. That was what brought the pathetic excuse for an Emperor’s Hand down.

“I don’t blame you,” Luke states. Those warm words lingered in the air. Jade couldn’t respond to that. How could she? Trying to sound monotone and disinterested but spectacularly falling, Jade responded, if anything slightly vulnerably, “But I’m just a clone. I brought you here. Made you go through all this, how can you not hate me?”

Luke stated at her thoughtfully for a moment, considering how he should respond. In a voice which Jade detected a strange humor and dreaminess, Luke offered, “Why don’t I tell you how I met the other Mara.”


	4. Revelations

Six months ago. 

Luke, in a black jedi robe, strode down the hallway. The New Republic troopers parted to the side to let him through, never letting the door out of their blaster sights. Every trooper held their blasters firmly, aiming straight for the door. The moment there was trouble they would open fire. No one knew what was inside, they had only been briefed that it was a dangerous individual close to the late Emperor.

As the jedi held up his hand, the soldiers relented slightly, their sights still set on the door but knowing they were not to fire unless Master Skywalker ordered it. With a wave of his hand, the door slid open with a hiss, and he stepped through, closing the door quietly as the troopers outside looked at each other confused. The Jedi Master certainly was braver than any of them had imagined. Perhaps even reckless. With so much resources waiting for him, Luke had literally walked in, not even igniting his lightsaber.

As Luke approached the lone figure sitting on the balcony, she suddenly turned, a vibroblade pointed straight at his face. "Skywalker. You murdered the Emperor. I will may you pay dearly for that." 

Mara glared daggers at the Jedi. She admitted she was slightly surprised that the man she wanted to kill had walked straight into her crosshairs, probably knowing her intentions. It was almost too easy. This made Mara raise her guard more. It never hurt to be too careful. For all she knew he might be preparing to kill her right now. Certainly what happened next blew away her expectations. 

Luke sensed the girl’s distrust. Her mind was heavily shielded, and she seemed to have basic training in the force. No doubt one of Palpatine’s assassins. But she seemed so young, probably the same age as Luke himself. He didn’t know why. If his mind wasn’t blocked at the time Obi Wan would probably have screamed at him. But he handed her his lightsaber.

The stone faced Mara took it, still holding her vibroblade menacingly. She looked at him expectantly, and he began, “What’s your name?”

Scoffing at his pleasantries, she bit out, “Why do you care?”

“Why shouldn't I?” He asked in a tone that implied confusion. Mara couldn't believe the nerve of this guy. Surely he couldn't think he would somehow charm her. No one could be stupid enough for that.

“Mara Jade,” she huffed, as if it mattered. Dead men told no tales, not that her name would mean much to anyone. If giving up a few details of her life could help finish her mission quicker so be it.

“It’s nice to meet you, Mara. Tell me what I can do to help you,” Luke said cheerfully as if they were old friends. It unnerved Mara how disarming his cool yet warm tone was so alluring to her. So disarming, as a soft whisper from a mother into an infant's ear, warm breath tugging gently at the inner passages of her ear, trickling through her body and sending shivers of warmth and comfort.

“You could kill yourself and save me the trouble,” she growled, narrowing her eyes even more as the fiery green orbs attempted to pierce straight at Luke's soul. Deciding she could ill afford to be distracted, Mara began to run a mental probe into his mind, suprised that he offered no resistance. Suddenly, she felt his presence wander in her thoughts, and violently clamped the probe shut, grabbing onto his shoulder and twisting with all her might as Luke winced, though to his credit did not make a sound. She shoved him forcefully away from herself, slightly out of breath but still clenching her blade with a grim determination as she looked at him, goading Luke to make a move. "Just because I look pretty doesn't mean I'm like all your other comfort women."

Luke was slightly taken aback at her hostility. He thought he had been nice to the stranger. It seemed all she wanted was him dead. By the will of the force, he slowly reached for her wrist. She tensed but didn’t move. "I'm going to come beside you," he said softly but firmly. She didn't move to challenge this, giving Luke a bit of relief.

Luke took a step closer until they were nearly face to face, pulling the blade towards his neck slowly and lifting hid chin.. “Mara, if you want to kill me, go ahead. You want closure, to feel that you fit in with the Empire. But look what happened, they left you. Left you behind as they left Coruscant to a civil war, street fighting and starvation.” Her green eyes widened in suspicious surprise. She had been taught that the son of Skywalker was dangerous and arrogant. Every moment she spent with him so far proved the contrary. It must be him manipulating her, right?

"You will kill Luke Skywalker." The Emperor's words replayed themselves in her mind.

“Don’t listen to him,” Luke whispered, and Mara eyed him, slightly confused.

“Who?” She questioned, though she suspected he knew that she knew.

“Palpatine. He manipulated you. Come with me. I can help you. You don’t have to listen to him,” Luke pleaded to no avail.

Mara never dropped her glare, refusing to admit her suprise that he knew, but withdrew her blade. He was right. She didn’t have to listen to him. He was dead after all. She relented, knowing she would not be able to kill him today. Not today at least. There was always tomorrow. Testing the boy, she released her grip, only to bring the blade right back up to his neck. Luke didn't even flinch, simply staring at her calmly.

“Come with me,” Luke instructed softly as he wrapped his hand around her weapon-free right hand. She merely nodded, knowing there was no point refusing whatever offer he had. If he wanted to build her strength and attraction for her before she killed him that was fine. Save her the trouble and give her the satisfaction of killing a man who believed he understood and cared for Mara. No one cared for her. Anyone who claimed to was antagonized by Mara immediately. She had been bred to feel hostility towards these empty claims. But something was different about this man. This man she was supposed to murder. It should have been so easy. He had literally placed his head on the electroguillotine for her. But she faltered. She had turned off the switch herself. How or why she could not understand. They walked past dozens of confused armed guards, weaving through several corridors at a leisurely pace before reaching a room. Mara looked at Luke questioningly and he explained, “These are my quarters. Feel free to use anything you see. I’ll grab some food. You must be starving!”

As he left her alone, she could only wonder what was happening. How could one be so jovial and relaxed when facing their assassin? This Skywalker was crazy, Mara told herself. But then again, he had apparently turned Darth Vader with a few minutes of conversation on the Second Death Star. Mara would not allow herself to be manipulated like this. His words echoed in her mind. "You don't have to be controlled by him." He made it seem so easy. Like it was just a switch in Mara's mind waiting to be flipped. What followed would be one of the most relaxed days Mara ever had. Something about that Skywalker made her comfortable. Something. It made Mara feel slightly guilty for her hostility. Sure, many moffs had treated her as valued eye candy prior before she murdered them. But this was different. She conceded this. The question now was: What next?

"Well we could start with dinner for one," Luke offered in a warm and cheerful tone, suprising Mara as she whirled around with narrowed eyes. "Easy sister," he said teasingly as he set down two boxes of food. Mara rolled her eyes, but sat down and began eating the takeout he had bought. It was a simple dish of meat and some noodle. After a few bites, her stomach was content enough to allow her to regain her observant nature. Glancing up, she was suprised to see Luke gone, his box still untouched across the table from her. She looked to the kitchen curiously, and saw him return with a pitcher filled to the brim with a blue liquid and two glass cups. "I hope you don't mind. I know after that you could probably use some alcohol, but trust me this will make you feel better."

Somehow knowing he would not relent until she drank up, she took the glass of blue liquid, taking in a small sip and being pleasantly suprised by a warm and sweet taste. "Blue milk," he answered her unsaid question, and she nodded appreciatively. It was certainly different from the classy alcoholic drinks the Imperial upper circle drowned themselves in. Mara found it simply yet refreshing. Perhaps there was more to this Skywalker than those records let on. No arrogant mass murder she could imagine would offer her something like this. Noticing Luke only took sporadic bites at his food and contenting himself with looking at her, Mara blushed slightly, for some reason being self-conscious at being used as eye candy."

"Mara I didn't...If you want me to leave you in peace just say so," Luke blurted out, clearly sensing her discomfort. Mara decided to call his bluff and told him, "That would help." Mara was taken aback when he nodded, walking out of the room without another word, leaving behind a forgotten meal. Mara couldn't hide her slight intrigue at this mysterious figure. It should have been a simple kill. Yet somehow she screwed it up. Now she was beginning to like this enemy. Palpatine's enemy, mortal enemy at that, should have been her enemy. But Mara couldn't bring herself to call Luke that. She had made the poor lad skip his dinner for her little test. Mara decided she wouldn't feel right, deciding to try and find him. Holding his box in her hand, she walked to what she presumed was his bedroom. When the door hissed open, Mara dropped the box in shock at Luke writhing in pain, letting out incomprehensible low growls and murmurs as he shook his head. Mara could feel his pain, rushing to his side and trying to shake the jedi awake. He suddenly lurched up, taking a deep breath and dazenly staring around. Mara felt his force presence flicker, but made no move lest she scare him. When he saw Mara eying him concerned, he blushed slightly, stating, "Sorry to scare you. Everything alright? Is the guest bed too hard? I can swap with you if you want."

Caught off guard again by his non-chalance towards what appeared to be a horrible and painful nightmare, and his concern for trivial things that at best would slightly irritate Mara, she shook her head, simply wishing him, "Good night, Skywalker."

"Good night Mara. Let me know if you need anything." Mara shook her head at this, silently playfully admonishing Luke for his generousity. He simply beamed a smile at her before the door hissed shut between them. Mara went to the guest bedroom, falling asleep peacefully as she dreamed on, a rarity for the ex-assassin. Somehow Luke found his way into most of her dreams. Dreams of them together?

Luke wandered to the balcony, leaning over the chrome guard rails as he stared at the Coruscant night. Rows of speeders whizzed along the narrow traffic lanes, flashes of red, gold and silver dotting the sky. The balcony floor was comprised of a soft artificial grass, softly swaying to the gentle breezes that passed through the apartment. Deciding he needed to meditate on his vision, he sat cross-legged in the balcony floor, slowly finding himself levitating around the ground as gust of winds swirled around him in a helix, Luke being an epicenter for the force and a beacon of its power. Luke saw fragments of his future, training new jedi, going on some sort of mission, and other bits and pieces. But his mind was set on unravellin only one tiny speck of a fragment. The looming figure of the Sith Lord Darth Vader. Darth Vader had died upon the Death Star at the hands of his father Anakin Skywalker, yet the image had seemed so real. "Always in motion, the future is," his former master Yoda once lectured. Yet death, at least in the mortal plain, was final. How could there be a possibility of his father being alive.

Opening his eyes, Luke found himself several meters above the air, and slowly descended, thankful that no one was around to witness his sudden outburst. He was mentally tired, his senses confused and strained over unlocking the secret within the visions of Darth Vader. He never saw them fighting or doing much, just them staring at each other as a low growl from an unknown source yelled out profanity and hatred for the sith.

Summoning his lightsaber from his belt, Luke activated three training droids in the corner, who soon brought to bear their repeating fire blaster cannons. Luke easily deflected the bolts in a twirling shield formed from his green blade, sending many of the bolts right back at the droids. As he advanced, the droids ceased the use of their cannons, dropping them and pulling out their own lightsabers, slowly moving to flank him as Luke simply stood there.

Feeling a gush of energy and excitment, he dashed for one of the droids, ducking under its wide arc swipe and sliding through its legs, his blade cutting the droid along the middle and its two halves dropping down with a clank as he turned and faced his remaining two opponents. Just as he had programmed them to, they switched strategies, one retriving a discarded blaster cannon and forcing Luke on the defensive while the other advanced on another side, looking for an opening to exploit. Unfortunately for the droids, his whirling green saber was fast enough to catch all the bullets of a lightsaber cannon, as well as slash at the droid. Luke's feet barely moved during the exercise, almost rooted to the floor as his blade surrounded him in a wall of emerald, letting nothing slip past his guard. To a casual observer, it seemed the jedi master had encased himself in a cucoon of green. Even to a trained eye, glimpses of his body were few and far in between, his blade moving so fast that there might as well have been thirty of them all twirling together. The force channeled itself through Luke, guiding his blade effortlessly to the precise location it needed to be when it needed to be there.

The blaster bolts fired at him soon cut down the sword wielding droid, unable to sustain concentrated fire to its eyes. With pinpoint precision, the droid appeared unscaved anywhere else, only having its two photoreceptor lens completely sizzled by the concentrated deflected fire. Three graceful steps and a swift flick of his wrists, and the droid wielding the blaster cannon fell silent, crashing to the ground as Luke stood over it, deactivating his blade and calling on the force to levitate the pieces back to the shed. His senses no less muddled, he returned to his room, lying on his bed and closing his eyes as he pondered the will of the force.

Mara was frozen still in fear and awe at Luke's command of the lightsaber. She could barely register his movements with her trained eyes, and doubted whether she could match him. Mara felt a bitter resentment, completely unable to comprehend his movements and technique. She felt only now she knew of failure. Of utter defeat. That he could be the one delivering complete and utter destruction upon her if he wished. This unnerved Mara.


	5. Unexpected friend

Jade just stared at the bound Luke dumbfounded, stifling a laugh but bursting once Luke chuckled to himself. Trust a naive jedi to take his would be assassin out to dinner. She undid his restraints, and sat him down on a chair. Walking over to the medical cabinet, she grabbed a few bafta patches and began tending to Luke’s wounds. He hissed at the singers but stayed still as Jade slowly cleaned him up. Mara glanced up at him occasionally, somewhat falling to the allure of his scarred face. Most times he squinted his eyes shut in an effort to contain the pain. But when she just finished, he met her eyes, instantly melting any idea of hostility towards him. Jade blushed, looking away slightly uncomfortably. Luke wrapped his hands around hers, surprising Jade but meeting no resistance as they embraced, Jade unable to resist the urge to contain a creeping smile and gently rubbing her hair against his.

As Jade tried to wrap her legs onto Luke's waist, he winced in pain, immediately ringing alarm bells in Jade."Are you alright?" she blurted out, reassured only by his gentle smile and kind eyes. "Sorry, it's just the wounds. Sorry for ruining the moment," he said sheepishly.

Jade suddenly had a horrible thought, and decided there was something she had to get out of the way. "Luke, do you like me?"

Luke widened his eyes momentarily in suprise, and Mara cursed herself inwardly. So much for a relationship. That regret was quashed when Luke held her hands more firmly, looking intently at her. "Mara, just because you are a clone doesn't mean that you are not a being. If no one else, know that I will treat you as you, not as just a clone. And no, I don't like you. I'm in love with you. We've barely met but you risked everything to be kind to me. I want to be with you."

Mara felt a tear fall down her cheek, and pulled Luke towards her pressing her lips against his as their force presences explored each other in a warm embrace. When they broke apart both had a wide grin, appreciating the change in mood from the past days.

“Thank you, why did you do that?” Was all he managed. 

“I don’t know. Maybe I like you,” Jade teased with a small grin, but raised her eyebrows questioningly when Luke chuckled. 

“What?” She questioned.

“That,” Luke explained, “Was more than the Mara I knew ever admitted, or I suspect, would have.” Mara playfully swatted at him, in the moment forgetting about his wounds. She immediately regretted it, apologizing again and again after he noticably winced. It must have hurt given Luke resisted any show of emotions. Luke simply brushed off her concerns, hugging her tightly and sending her tendrils of reassurance through the force. Jade never knew love during her tenure as the Dark Lord's enforcer. She liked it.

Deciding that there was one final thing to settle, she asked Luke, “Please, call me Jade. It just feels weird, being called Mara.” 

"Alright. I love you Jade."

"I know," she teased. Luke was about to ask her how she learnt of that inside joke when the door's hiss announced the return of the dark lord.

The moment between the two was ruined when the door snapped open and the towering black figure of Darth Vader returned, Jade felt Luke’s spirit instantly darken, and somehow the force began to swell around him. Before she could react, bolts of lightning flew from Luke’s hand, lashing out at Darth Vader as he crumpled to the floor. Jade simply watched in awe and fear as Luke continued swell with a dark aura, sending bolt after bolt of lightning at the downed Sith lord. Emerald beams stang at the mechanical limbs of the Sith like the tail of a scorpion lashing out at its prey. His happiness had been taken from him, just like so many other things in life. After days of torture, Luke decided to hell with it he was going to let his emotions run free. Force knows he needed to get it out.

“Son, please,” Anakin wheezed. “I’m sorry for what I did. I was wrong. Please stop.” 

Luke cackled, a scowl forming on his face as his cold blue eyes stared at the charred body that lay before him. “I’ve turned to the dark side, Vader. You've succeeded. And outlived your usefulness. I know what you've doen to Jade. And I will never, never let you hurt her again in your sorry excuse for a life.”

Anakin’s cries of pain echoed throughout the chamber, and Luke continued, “Your force inhibitors were most helpful, in fact, I’ve only just killed them. Now I will tear you apart piece by piece until you beg to be killed.”

Anakin could only look up at Luke’s towering figure helplessly, his pleading eyes falling on deaf ears as Luke’s cold blue orbs stared at him with simmering hatred and anger. His body was being torn apart cell by cell, regrouped and then ripped in a cycle of excruciating pain. Each cell itself was split into subatomic fragments just long enough to cause pain without killing it. Seconds felt like days, as Luke watched almost eagerly at the Sith lord’s writhing body. He was the master of shatterpoint, finding the weakness in Vader’s cells and pouring force energy into it, intensifying the pain felt by the Sith Lord.

“Luke,” a voice rang out, and a beautiful petite force ghost appeared. Padme, wearing her white combat gear, appeared in front of the trio. “Stop, please. Your father has changed.” Jade nearly cursed out loud, but held it in, afraid she might distract or hurt Luke. Darth Vader could easily seize the distraction and hurt her Luke. She would certainly intervene but she admitted she was no match for the Dark Lord.

Luke simply snarled at her. “I guess you consider yourself my mother then. Both equally unworthy. Both equally useless. So you see fit only to show up now. Well don’t bother again. You won’t stop me from fulfilling my destiny. For once I have found love. And no one will take that away from me!” Padme recoiled at her son’s harsh words, eerily reminded by Anakin's fall to the dark side. Such similar words father and son uttered. They may have come from the corrupted version of Luke, but they were certainly true, which made it hurt Padme all the more. Luke was incredibly powerful, more so than the crippled Anakin. He could call on the force to his fingertips, his concentration and senses honed in by the continuous suffering Darth Vader had put him through. And the visions. The visions the Dark lord implanted eroded at Luke’s willpower, edging him closer and closer to the dark side. Now free, he had little reservations for utilizing the raw power he had. It felt so right. So rewarding. Luke enjoyed this sensation. It gave him comfort after days of breaking down and even worse, desiring death. He had the power. The control. The six days had been continuous pain. Bottle it up as he may, he faced torture mentally and physically continously, never getting any rest, at least until the recent moment with Jade. But Vader had decided to ruin that. Well he would make the Dark Lord pay dearly for that.

Jade watched Luke lash out at her former master and tormentor. She revelled in the sight of the evil torturer being dealt justice. She would admit her slight suprise and dissapointment the ominious Dark Lord would be weak enough to try and plead that he was what? Redeemed? Scoffing at the thought, she resisted the urge to run up to him and tear his circuits out for daring to make such a ridiculous statement. And trying to take away her Luke? No one would take him away from her. He was everything to Jade. Nothing else mattered.


	6. Hunt

“Madam, we found an active camera. Showing feed now.” The whole room was silent as all of the New Republic's most important leaders watched in anticipation. Luke was the first in view, before his escort appeared. She had long red hair and emerald green eyes. All eyes turned to Mara Jade in horror, anger and disgust. In their minds, the traitor had been in their midst the whole time. Many of them already had reservations at the thing, only tolerating her because of Luke's insistance at her innocence. Now their reservations and his rare mistake realized, security immediately raised blasters at the deadly former hand. Blasters set to kill, they would take no chances, standing in front of the angry and fearful leaders as Mara’s jaw dropped in shock. The woman in the footage looked just like her. But that was impossible. She hadn’t seen Luke in days.

“Arrest her,” Leia coldly instructed the guards. Two guards approached with handcuffs, with five more pointing blasters directly at Mara's head. A distraught Mara did not resist as the guards bound her hands behind her back before they roughly dragged her out of the security room, marching beside her along the corridors before tossing her in a cell. When a fuming Leia entered the room with two stone faced guards, she only managed, “I didn’t.” She was slapped by the angry General before being left alone in the dark confines of the cell, only dimly lit by the red hued lights from the floor.

Mara stared at the walls of the cell for hours, laying uncomfortably on the hard metal surface the cell provided as a bed. It didn’t make sense for her. One moment she was working to find Luke Skywalker. The next, she was being charged with kidnapping him. As hostile as she was to most people, Luke notwithstanding, she was still responsible

Han and Leia stared each other down dangerously. "Hon, I don't like her just as much as you, but you have to admit she had no motive to kidnap Luke." "No motive? She has repeatedly declared her desire to kill my brother and let's not forget your friend," Leia fumed dangerously, and Han could have sworn that there was invisible steam escaping from her ears. Sighing in exasparation, Han pulled out a blaster, and shot Leia with a stun blast. He caught the falling body of the princess, carrying her bridal style and gently laying her down onto the bed. Han let out a whistle and said to the empty room, “Boy do we need couple therapy.”

With little time to spare before an angry girlfriend woke up and brought Han's reckoning, he needed to put his plan into action. Tracing the halls of the prison complex, he used his authority as a general to get past the guards, who weren't about to anger the famous war hero. "Can't believe that General rank would help in anything outside of bluffing with Lando," he muttered outside of the earshot of the prison guards. When the cell doors finally opened, a concerned but amused General Solo stared at the bound Mara. Wrapped in a white fabric and bound tightly by rope, Han couldn’t stop imagining a human cocoon. His wide smirk betrayed his thought, though Mara was in no position to stop him. “I don’t think you kidnapped Luke. So how about I get you out of here and we start looking?”

Mara nodded her head, and Han removed the tape on her mouth less than elegantly. “Watch it Solo!” Mara yelped as the smuggler unceremoniously ripped the tape in one fell swoop. He then undid the rest of the rope bindings, freeing a very annoyed Mara. “Thanks,” Mara stated. Han simply nodded and handed her a blaster. Gesturing to the open cell door, he said, “Lead the way.” 

Mara quickly led Han to an inconspicuous hatch tucked behind a tree in the Palace gardens. She stepped into the familiar passages, the stale air reminding Mara of the first time she set foot in these secret passages. The childhood thrill of exploring each crevice and corner returned, though while before she had only to hide her presence from unsuspecting and frankly foolish stormtroopers, and could explore how she wanted, when she wanted. Now Mara was racing against the clock to find Skywalker. And force forbid she didn’t even know if he was here. 

The assassin and the smuggler came up with a risky plan at best. At worst, it was a shot in the dark. But mapping out the order that the cameras went dark, a stranger would surmise that the duo had somehow walked to the central elevators and disappeared. A seasoned investigator might guess that the cameras had been fed false footage to mask the real route, and accordingly plot out every other route, looking there. No one in the New Republic security detail surmised the duo had gone to a hidden part of the palace. The Imperial Palace was a maze of rooms, corridors and tunnels after all. Then again, none knew the Imperial Palace as well as the ex-Emperor’s Hand. 

If Mara had to venture a guess then it would be Lumiya had disguised herself and taken Luke hostage. The woman knew the Palace well enough, and certainly had the means, method and motive. But something told Mara this wasn’t the case. There was no denying that the figure in the viewscreen was her. Somehow, someone looking exactly like her had kidnapped Luke Skywalker. If it weren’t for the few years of a troubled friendship, Mara would have easily rejoiced at Skywalker’s supposed demise. But Luke had saved her more times that she cared to admit, and it seemed the day finally came to repay the favor. 

“Jade, everything okay?” Mara quickly returned to reality, facing a slightly concerned Han Solo staring at her like she was a twi'lek dancer in a room of Imperial Moffs. Brushing aside the ugly memory that had just surfaced, Mara simply nodded, and continued down the dark and long forgotten paths towards the catacombs. Han simply followed, blaster in hand and ready to blast any danger at the first moment. Han always shot first. 

The walk was relatively easy. The paths twisted and turned, often shrinking down to narrow sections and forcing Mara and Han to crawl, but Mara’s familiarity with the paths meant they were able to go to the basement relatively easier. If they could use a glow rod, Mara was sure they could have made the journey in thirty minutes. However they didn’t want to risk it, and so completed the journey in darkness and near silence, taking just shy of one hour to reach a maintenance hatch. 

Mara held up her hand, and Han paused, prepared to retreat instantly. Easing out the bolts, Mara removed the grate very slowly, cringing at the small creek from rusty hinges set off. But they were in the basement, greeted by near pitch black darkness and the towering columns of a deserted hall. Deciding it was safe enough, she pulled out her glow rod, switching it on to the lowest setting. A dim white light scattered across the catacomb, revealing a grand hall that stretched for hundreds of meters in any direction. If her senses were correct, Luke would be held in the lower levels. Now all she needed to do was find the access switch.

Han watched slightly confused as Mara crawled along the floor, brushing against the layer of accumulated dust as he stood there. After around ten minutes of this, Han heard a click, and Mara’s satisfied smirk let him know she had found the access path. Mara gestured towards a panel now sticking out of the previously smooth surface of the catacomb. With a grunt, they managed to lift the meter long panel up, revealing a tunnel going straight down. Mara grabbed onto the ladder, warning Han, “If you fall on me I swear you will die a painful death.” Han merely responded with a shrug and his trademark smirk.

Mara held a finger to her mouth, and Han gestured in understanding, following her stealthily as they proceeded down the increasingly dark corridors. The air was stale and dry, fitting for what was a largely unused and forgotten entrance to the most secretly guarded room in the entire galaxy. Mara had stumbled on it only by seeing Darth Vader enter it once with his apprentice. She suspected that even Emperor Palpatine was unaware of the complex's existance. It took her much of her scarce free time alone within the palace to come across the entrance. She had never dared to go within, suspecting that the Sith Lord would have prepared some defences even her expertise would not be able to defeat, at least not without alerting the dark lord that his lair had been infiltrated. Mara felt curiousity bubble within her, as she reached another hatch. Prying it open, Mara begun crawling into what appeared to be a ventilation duct. Tying her red hair into a simple braid, she stowed away her gun, deciding that the extra mobility and lack of obvious danager did not justify the burden. She unconsciously rolled her eyes when Han refused to holster his blaster, struggling to keep up with her.

The passage consistently weaved and turned, shrinking into a hole barely big enough for the duo to continue. Han let out grunts and muttered curses in Huttese and Basic, amusing Mara. Finally stowing away his blaster with the calculation that it was worth trading security for speed, they made significantly faster progress, soon finding themselves at a drop. Han asked Mara, "Are you sure about this?" She simply scoffed, dropping down head first without dignifying a response. Han shook his head, wondering what he'd gotten himself into this time. Couldn't be worse than the time he ferried a farmboy and an old man unknowingly into the biggest battlestation at the time. This memory brought a smile to his face, and he took the plunge, pleasantly suprised to find a very annoyed Mara staring at him expectantly and a much wider path that appeared to be some sort of access tunnel. Stretching out his legs and hands, he felt the relief tingle at his swelling limbs, happily grabbing back his blaster out and following Mara. Within minutes, they were near the end of the passage.

Mara pressed her ear against the door, listening for any sound that betrayed an occupant. Hearing none, she took in a deep breath, silently uttering a prayer before entering a code into the console beside the door. It hissed open, and Mara stuck her head out, looking both ways. Realizing that there was no way this large empty catacomb was the complex Darth Vader used, she uttered profanities that caused even the crude mouthed smuggler to raise an eyebrow. Ignoring this, Mara set to work finding some sort of hidden entrance. Han sat dejected in the corner, tending to his blaster and grumbling the entire time, nearly making Mara gag the fellow. Finally deciding she couldn't do much, Mara walked towards the door they had come through several hours ago, prepared to leave, but suddenly spotting a small switch embedded within the doorframe. Squealing in delight, she flicked it, and the entire room trembled, parting as it revealed a silver circle in the center. Reaching out with the force, she unlocked it, revealling yet another access hatch. Both she and Han let out a groan before descending down the ladder.


	7. Conflict

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jade must take her stand on the life changing decison of the man she cares most about. Torn between her own emotions and the right choice, Jade must deny Luke what he desires. Their relationship will be tested in a baptism of fire only days after it began. It could change the course of galactic history.

“Luke stop,” Jade blurted out, and he turned, looking at her with a mixture of confusion and hesitation. She wanted to kill Darth Vader herself, and Luke deserved to strike the final blow most, but she couldn't let him. She knew Luke would never escape self blame. He was too noble. Too kind. Too Luke. She loved him for it, but she had to stop this, pained her and against her conscience as this was. She had to save her Luke. “Luke, you’ve won. Leave with me,” she said, trying to hide her hesitation and doubt. 

Standing within the small complex underneath the remains of a Sith temple, the dark side surrounded them, teasing and leeching at Luke, commanding him to strike down his father and fufill his destiny. The room was dark, only illuminated by several white lights buried into the floor and the two lamps, one on the torture table and one on the bacta tank. Luke didn't want to resist the darkness. It felt so right to finally unleash it, to finally have closure. Perhaps in the future he might lament that Anakin truly had died all those years ago, and that he had never met his father. But he needed to end this.

Luke contemplated Jade's plea for a moment, before replying, “I can’t.” Holding up his prosthetic right hand for emphasis, he told Mara bitterly, “He did this to me. He who calls himself my father. How can I leave knowing he could do it again. Knowing he could destroy us. Us, Jade.” His voice cracked in near-desparation, and it took all of Jade's willpower not to support him right then and there. She couldn't understand his pain. But she had to stop him. She knew if she didn't he would go down a dark path, a path where there would be no return. No redemption. Only blood, fire and destruction.

Jade, raised by Darth Vader under a regime of suffering and pain, she was conditioned to raise the next generation of Skywalkers, taught to pretend to love Luke, and to prepare to control him. Yet even then it was not the training that caused Jade to intervene. It was love. Love for Luke Skywalker. An uncontrollable desire to see him happy, and stop him from entering a spiral of darkness, destruction and death. A part of her knew she wouldn't try and control him. She couldn't. Not for Vader. Not for anyone. With pleading eyes, she repeated, “Luke, leave with me. Please.” She walked towards him, wrapping his left hand in her right, nuzzling into his chest as they stood side by side. She entangled her red locks of hair in his blonde one, silently positioning herself between Luke and Vader and praying that obscuring his view of the monster might calm him down. Enclasping his other hand in her own, she lifted her head to look at Luke, whose face had softened at the sight of Jade. She resisted the urge to beam from the knowledge Luke loved her so much. It made it all the more harder to deny what many would consider Luke's right. It tore at Jade's heart, knowing that this very denial might shatter their relationship in the future. She had her own qualms about stopping Luke. But she had to try. “All strive for victory. But not all understand what it truly is. To a soldier or pilot on the line, victory is surviving the current battle. To a politician, victory is an advantage one can bring to a bargaining table. To a warrior, victory is driving an enemy from the field of battle, or bringing him to surrender. Sometimes victory is greater than the warrior could ever hope for. Sometimes it is more than he is able to hear.” She breathed these words into Luke, hoping he would understand.

Luke closed his eyes for a moment, pondering the statement. A battle between different voices rang out in his mind. Go with her! No, finish what you started! If you do this you're no better than him! Feeling his struggle and turmoil, Mara gently pressed her force presence onto Luke's mind, gently entering after he accepted her and sending tendrils of warmth and reassurance. "I won't pretend to understand all of your pain, but I certainly have felt his wrath too. And now I'm asking you to leave with me. Luke, can you do that, for me? For us?" Luke eyed his father with renewed vengeance at the thought of jade being tourtured. Finally he relented, his attraction and care for Jade winning out over his desire to exact revenge on the pathetic excuse he had for parents. He turned from the soft and warm features of Jade's perfect face, giving Anakin one last glare before walking towards Jade, and they left hand in hand for the turbolift shaft, concealed by Luke’s use of force cloak. Jade moved ever tighter with Luke as he wrapped his black cloak around her, cracking out a smile as he kissed her tenderly on her forehead. Seizing on the moment, she gave him a light peck as they entered the turbolift. She could not fathom why Luke had listened to her. Even when she knew he could sense her doubts in herself, he had trusted her with what possibly would be the single most important decision in his life. She felt trusted, nor the same feeling as the faith that Darth Vader had in her executing a mission successfully. This trust was more deep-not from her abilities or power, but from his love for her.

“I love you Jade. I would trust you with my life.”

“I know,” she replied teasingly.

“And? Say it. Please”

“I love you too. I love you Luke.”

Jade looked up at Luke, feeling the warmth and joy of the farm boy that entered the catacomb a week before returning. Emerald green eyes met sky blue orbs as they embraced just as the turbolift door hissed shut, leaving an immobilized Anakin gasping for breath, laying on the floor in a heap. At that moment, both beings taught by fire and metal to be devoid of love felt nothing but it, revelling in the warmth and comfort they brought each other. Both poured their minds into a force bond, exploring each other memory by memory as the elevator ascended. Soon they would get to start a new life. Together. Neither had ever felt so wanted, so right. And both would not let anything stand in each other's way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a shorter chapter, sorry to dissapoint, but it is critical for the story and character development.


	8. Unwilling allies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Left in the dust, the people closest to Luke must forge uneasy alliances to catch up to the elusive Jedi master. Their challenge is made exponentially harder by a hostile New Republic and the wild card Jade, who is the only known assossiate of Luke unaccounted for.

As Mara peered down the access hatch, she felt confident that no one was waiting for her, and opening it, dropped gracefully to the floor. Han just looked down at the five meter fall, slightly annoyed at the smirking Mara. “I’ll catch you,” she promised. When he did not move Mara let out an exasperating sigh, waiving her blaster at Han and declaring, "Solo you let go or I'll shoot your sorry backside and catch your corpse." Han reluctantly let go, being levitated by Mara down to the floor safely. Han nodded in thanks and the duo surveyed the room. It was a short corridor with three doors on either side of the corridor and one turbolift shaft at the end. Nodding in unison, Han took the left side while Mara took the right.

The first room to the left was a meditation chamber, clearly in the style that Vader enjoyed. Scantily decorated, the single black container reminded Mara of Vader's helmet, its opening and closing almost like Vader's jaws opening and closing. Shaking this thought aside, she moved on. To the right, it was a bedroom, which to her suprise was quite neatly organized. There was a small wardrobe with two sets of black jumpsuits that reminded Mara of her own, a holotable with nothing of interest, a propoganda poster hung as the lone ornament of the wall and then the bed itself, a pristine white colour and neatly folded. Opposite was a bathroom, small and compact, equipped with a small sink, toilet and sonic shower unit. The second pair of rooms was a small kitchen unit stocked with several types of meat and the usual ingredients, and another bathroom, equally minimalistic in its amenities. In the third pair, they found an armory, stocked with several large rotating blaster cannons, a few sniper rifles, standard issue blaster rifles, extra cartriges and thermal detonators. Not especially interesting to a casual observer, but Mara noted that somen officer or assassin likely resided here. Adjacent was what appeared to be a medical room. But the medical room was completely pitch black. There was a bacta tank, what appeared to be a metal table to its side, and laying in a heap at the bottom was a wheezing Darth Vader.

“Sithspit!” Han yelled, pulling out his blaster but feeling himself completely frozen in place. “You should be dead!” Han said as the Sith Lord released his grip on the smuggler after confiscating his blaster. Mara, now beside him, uneasily lowered her blaster, knowing she probably would be dead if the Dark Lord desired it but still unwilling to be completely defenceless, no matter how meaningless the false security a pointed blaster at the Sith granted.

“I am not a Sith, not anymore,” Anakin wheezed, his voice rasp from the shocks Luke gave to him. Still under shock from the revelation that Darth Vader, whatever his alias now may be, did not die on Endor as Luke would have them believe, both hesitantly approached the downed Sith.

"Well, you have a lot of explaining to do. And from what I can tell Luke has bested you and escaped. If you tell us where the corpse of the clone of Mara you made is, I might just give you a less painful death."

Darth Vader, calling on the force to move his limbs, stood up, much to the horror of Mara and Han, who both instantly raised blasters at him. Ignoring this, Anakin heaved his dishevelled body with the force towards the bacta tank, immersing himself in the cool translucent blue liquid and ignoring Mara and Han's looks. After several minutes of silence, Han simply told Mara, "Go and find any evidence you can. I'll keep watch over the sith here." Mara acknowledged if reluctant to leave the Sith, weak as he may appear to be, under the guard of the smuggler. Then again, she was the only one of the duo to have intelligence gathering training. She knew she had to be the one to gather as much intel as she could before the Sith Lord woke up, lest they get decieved. But it didn't mean she had to like the idea completely.

Mara wandered around the complex, looking for any sign of Luke. The bathroom revealed little, if anything the occupant must have been a woman, given that the shampoo was a nice strawberry fragrance and there was a simplistic make up kit tucked away in the bedroom's bedside cabinet. There was no sign of Luke anywhere; by all measures it seemed Darth Vader was simply here trying to heal himself. Mara mumbled to herself about wasting time, deciding to wander into the kitchen. Luke had once told her that you could tell a lot about a person by their food. She decided to take a deeper look.

Now that she looked closer, the kitchen was abnormally tidy, almost as if she herself organized it. Normally, one or two things would stand out, suspicious and out of place for individual quirks and preferences. Yet here nothing stood out, everything was miraculously in place. This subtle error tipped Mara off: this had to be set up to hide a secret. She looked around the kitchen for more hints: a knife rack with three blades in descending order of size left to right, all well maintained and sharp, polished to mirror like perfection. Also hung up was a small spice rack, with a few small herbs and spices growing out of the soil lining the three tiered rack. Noting the great care that the owner took to organize the kitchen, Mara deduced that it was probably a woman, probably on the younger side from the use of a spice rack, which many elders viewed as non-conformity to produce from larger farms. Yet the individual was probably at least mentally old, or otherwise a careful and precise person, taking care to organize great details. Meticulous in organization, yet practical, only displaying what was necessary and regularly used for convenience. The cooking unit itself, while similar in apprarance to standard Imperial decor, and clearly intended to appear that way, in fact was quite advanced, featuring tweaked heating grills. Mara observed thoughtfully, noting that they were arranged to better distribute the heat, a small but likely significant improvement.

Determining that she would not find much here, Mara opened the refridgeration unit, dissapointed to find a distinct lack of alcohol, with only chilled water and some standard issue nutrient drinks. Clearly whoever resided here was conscious of their health or adhered strictly to Imperial protocol. Then again, Darth Vader was unlikely to look upon any tardiness or drunkness kindly. Proceeding to the hallway, Mara collected her thoughts, going through the layout. Bedroom and kitchen had little of interest, apart from helping Mara narrow down the pool of possible Imperial officers that resided here serving Darth Vader. The bathroom had so little Mara doubted that she could tell who used it alone, and then there was the armory, initially catching Mara's suspicions and interests but leading her nowhere. The medical room was occupied by Darth Vader and likely used for some sort of experimentation, which left only the bathroom. "Wait that's it!" Mara said in a moment of epiphany. Striding with renewed determination to the supposed bathroom, she tore at the sink, twisting and rattling the handles to find some sort of switch. It worked twice, maybe it would work again.

Unbeknownst to her, Anakin had recovered enough in the medical room, leading Han to a panel hidden within the medical room and towards another part of his complex entirely. A passageway revealed itself to the two, and Anakin extended his hand towards the door, looking expectantly has he ordered, "After you." Han, seeing no other choice, decided to go anyways. Sensing the smuggler's doubts, Anakin simply told him, "I understand if you have your doubts. Let me prove my intentions. If I wanted you dead you would be." 

As if reaffirming Anakin's control, the door guarding the passageway snapped shut at a wave of his black gloved hand, sealing off any hope for Han's escape. He did not wield the force, and without any clear access panels, there was no way he could possibly unlock that door, especially not with his overseer right next to him. Resigning to following Anakin, he watched the tall figure's mechanical body, clad in black and cape billowing behind him ominously.

As they reached the end of a short corridor, Han eyed the sole holoprojector in the room in the center of the room. It hummed to life, and the medical room popped into view, showing Luke bound into the medical table into question gave Han shivers down his spine. It was too similar to his own nightmare on Bespin. As Darth Vader approached and a female Han knew had to be Mara stood at the side impassive, his face slowly cringed into horror and disgust. When the image of Vader slicing of Luke's skin came, Han couldn't take it anymore, turning to one side and vomiting, reeling over the image he just saw. To his suprise, Anakin walked up behind him, holding up his head with one hand while patting his back on the other. "Thanks," the smuggler muttered as his stomach emptied its contents, still extremely disturbed at the image he just saw. Getting straight to business, he questioned, "That...that was Mara. So Leia was right? She worked with you to torture him?"

Han gulped slightly when Anakin let out a sigh, translating into a low growl through his voice emulator. "Sorry, the stupid machine can't really articulate sounds," Anakin said apologetically, and Han nodded slowly, taking in the statement while still trying to process what was happening. Anakin gave him a few moments to ponder before continuing, "That was a clone of Mara I created. And no, she didn't help me torture him, she worked to ease his pain. He's run off with her now, force knows where."

Han nodded, with renewed confidence Mara was innocent. "If you don't mind, let's get back to the main room. I may shoot first, but having a trained assassin is still invaluable against...a person with your power," Han stated nervously, beads dropping down his face as fear laced his eyes, the realization that he sounded like an idiot in front of what was once Darth Vader dawning on him. To his suprise, he simply chuckled, and Han uneasily followed suit, joining Anakin as he wandered back down the corridor, seeing the secretive door they entered snap open.


	9. Comeback

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke takes Jade to offer his most prized possession.

A turbolift door opened, and one soldier spared a glance at the empty interior of the chamber. He would have checked it, but he was on duty, standing guard outside the doors leading towards General Leia Organa's private chambers, and force forbid he would not leave his post for the simple matter of a turbolift. Continuing to stare forward at the blank grey wall opposite, he was completely oblivious to Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade, or the clone of her, striding past him. Further down the path was the room of famed and missing Jedi Master Luke Skywalker. After his disappearence, palace security had been tightened, to such an extent within the walls it seemed an authoritative and militaristic atmosphere had returned from the ashes of the former Empire. But when the New Republic was short on troops, little thought was placed on securing the thought long gone Jedi master's room, instead deploying more men than made sense in exits in a vain attempt to prevent any suspects from leaving. Yet the New Republic had the naivety to believe they new the Palace well enough, when in reality its catacombs and deep tunnels remained unheard rumors in New Republic Security. But right now the duo did not worry about that yet, simply using their force cloak, Mara snuggled deep in Luke's arm as they entered Luke's room. 

Clothes and random belongings were strewn across the floor as a mark of New Republic Security's vain attempt to find any evidence towards Skywalker's disappearance. Each day led to General Leia, now having instilled something akin to an unofficial martial law status within the palace, locking down the complex and forbidding anyone from entering or exiting. Food and other necessities arrived solely by hovercraft and droid processing, and were screened several times, not giving anyone within the Palace Walls a hope of escaping. But Luke and Mara were not anyones. They were two of the most powerful and determined beings in the galaxy, the former being unrivalled in power even compared to the late Emperor, the latter still able to hold her own against the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Vader. After reaching out with the force, Luke slowly moved a ball bearing along a path hidden inside an apartment wall as Jade looked around his room curiously, peering through his belongings. 

Crash! "Sithspit!" Jade bit out in suprrised anger before covering her mouth. She gave Luke a worried look, and he nodded, striding towards the entrance and extending his hands towards the approaching guard. Jade observed impressed if slightly concerned when the guard suddenly dropped to the floor, passing out without any sign of resistance. Mara looked at the sand pooling across the floor, questioning Luke, "You keep sand in your room." He reluctantly responded, "Actually that was sand art to remind me of home. A gift from a former apprentice I saved." Mara gasped in shock, before muttering, "Sorry...."

Jade eyed Luke curiously, and he merely gave a trademark smirk and shugged. Looking back at the guard's body, she questioned, "You didn't kill him right?" He gave her an playfully admonishing look, rescinding, "Says the trained assassin. No, I don't just walk around snapping the neck of whoever I want, though now that you mention it..." 

"Now I see why Mara wanted to kill you," Jade teased, but lovingly wrapped her hands around Luke, taking in his warmth and luminance as he returned the embrace, allowing her to bury her face deep into his chest. She loved the softness of his cloak clading his rough yet tender and warm skin, the black colour matching her own black jumpsuit. "We can do this for the rest of our lives if you want Mara," Luke said thoughtfully. Jade simply let out a satisfied mmh, snuggling deep into Luke's chest and feeling the rest of the galaxy fade away in her mind, left only with their two souls staring deep into each other. "I love you," she replied, pulling back from their embrace and giving him a light peck on the cheek. "But let's save this for when we get out of here." 

Luke reluctantly let go of Jade, and continued moving the ball bearing until a small click Jade was barely able to register sounded. Jade was slightly confused, but looking at Luke's satisfied smile, she assumed he had opened his lock. Staring curiously at him and standing at a respectful distance, she was suprised when he callled her over. Peering over his shoulder, she eyed the small pink box in front of them curiously. Looking at Luke for guidance, he simply challenged, "See if you can open the box." 

Jade was not one to refuse a challenge, and with a determined look pulling out her red blade and striking at the box. Her blade snapped off without warning, and Jade was rewarded with strained muscles and a teasing smile on Luke's face. She huffed at his enjoyment, determined to complete his challenge and shelve his satisfied smile up his lightsaber. He simply shook his head upon hearing her thought, backing away slightly but never allowing his confident smile to falter. Reaching out with the force, Jade probed the box, but found no weakness. Frustrated and angry, she lashed out, slamming her fist onto the box and being rewarded with a throbbing pain. Luke's smile instantly faded as he rushed over to the arched Jade, wrapping her in an embraced as he sent tendrils of comfort through their bond. Holding his hand over hers, he quickly healed her hand, and she playfully slapped him. "Do that again and I will break your face. And wipe that smirk off," Mara ordered. Luke simply widened his smile, pulling Jade and kissing her deeply. Breaking apart their kiss, he lifted her hand into his, planting kisses along the fading red marks of her fist as she rolled her eyes in mock exaspiration. As they parted after what seemed like an eternity, he simply responded, "You love me for it." Jade shook her head, only chiding, "You're impossible." 

Jade was slightly saddened when he parted from their tight embrace, but followed Luke cautiously towards the cursed box. He raised his hand, and through their bond told Mara, "Observe." In her mind, the box came to sight, and began to let out a faint blue glow. Jade observed the box curiously, seeing a small black dot in the bottom right of it. "Very good," Luke stated, and Jade watched amazed as he gave the spot a light tap through the force, instantly causing the box to shatter and reveal a lightsaber. Luke reached down and grabbed the weapon, turning to Jade before telling her, "I want you to have this. The lightsaber I used on Bespin." 

Jade would have told him no. That it was too much. She should have. But she merely nodded, taking the gift and fingering it, observing each crevice and mark. Jade felt connected to the blade, almost enchanted. It called out to her gently with a voice similar to Luke's. Jade had never recieved a gift in her life. In the years she spent training under Darth Vader, he simply gave her the scraps of a downed inquisitor's weapon, letting her experiment and try to figure out the construction. If he was impressed with Jade after she completed it in a week, he did not show it, much to Jade's dissapointment and deep down, sadness. Jade had never felt wanted. Never felt important. But the man beside her made her feel these things. And it felt good, very good indeed. Gifting her a lightsaber itself would have been amazing enough, but entrusting a piece of him, something so dear to him, was an idea Jade had a hard time getting used to. But she couldn't dwell on that. After Luke's traumatic experience, she did not want to force him to revisit the painful memories. So she accepted it, resolving to protect it with her life. Luke simply smiled at her knowingly, and Jade smiled semi-consciously. She admired the blade for a while, fingering it as Luke watched before she realized that he was waiting.

"How long did I pause?" Jade asked.

"A few hours," he said in all seriousness. Jade's eyes widened in shock and she felt her jaw drop. When Luke burst out in a chuckle, she resisted slapping him again. His wounds were still fresh if healed, but force she really wanted to. "You...you nerf!" She burst out, frustrated she was unable to vent out her anger at his joke. He closed the distance between them in one graceful step, once again enveloping her lips with his. They parted shortly after, and Jade breathlessly said, "No fair. Everytime I'm about to win an argument you just shut me up by kissing me." Luke simply grinned, running his fingers through Jade's hair playfully and brusing his index finger along her ear occasionally. They revelled in a comforting silence, slowly walking towards the exit. Luke didn't spare his home of three years as he looked to a future with Jade. Their future. Jade walked slightly closer along her companion.

The guard begun to stir on the floor as the duo walked by, still unseen by the guard or the cameras. Luke, wearing a simply black jedi robe, and Jade, now in a deceptively regal emerald dress Luke fetched from his wardrobe, specially designed for a moment like this, Luke claimed. Watched the door slide shut before them, Luke and Jade beginning the long walk towards the Palace catacombs to leave the confines of the Palace. "Just curious, how armed are you?" Luke asked, suddenly curious at his companion. If Mara was anything to go by she would be armed to the teeth. Mara stopped him in their tracks, hastily opening a door to a disused guard post and laying on the guard bed, laying on her bed with head on hands, staring seductively at Luke as she whispered, "Why don't you find out?" Luke was more than happy to oblige, and they each undressed the others, preparing for a long, warm and loving embrace. Unfortunately, a distant radio call echoed, and both heaved a sigh as they reluctantly put on the few clothes they had hastily disgarded clothes surrounding them. Sensing the patrol wander closer, they remained still and silent, even if he was several levels above, they couldn't risk being discovered. "We'll continue this later, if you're up for it," Luke said. "Skywalker, you'll be up in the air before you know it," she snided, responding to the challenge with confidence. Luke simply grinned, settling for a kiss for the time being.

Several minutes passed before they moved, deciding to leave the planet before continuing their more personal adventure together. There would be plenty of time once they left behind the force forsaken galaxy. "Where to my love?" Jade asked questioningly. She had been raised in the basement they left behind recently all of her life. Besides, all she needed was Luke. Nothing else mattered.


	10. Manhunt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke and Jade have driven Leia to call for a manhunt. Knowing Republic forces have little chance at finding her brother, she calls on criminal elements long thought vanquished from the face of Coruscant.

"Ma'am, forgive me but I must have misheard. You want me to put out a bounty for Mara Jade, the imperial assassin that managed to kill nearly a batallion of our best intelligence officers, and Jedi Master Luke Skywalker. And you want the woman dead or alive but the jedi alive?"

Leia sighed. It may have been a strange order to the officer, but she did not like her orders being questioned. It almost made her long for the infamous imperial discipline of old. Shaking away those thoughts, she grit her teeth, hiding her anger as best as she could right now. Though Leia knew even through a hologram her security chief probably could feel her staring lasers at the poor fellow. "Yes, you heard me right. I don't care if the girl lives, but Luke is to be untouched. Anyone who lays a finger on Luke answers to me. Got it?" 

The chief never had a chance to reply the affirmative before General Leia snapped off the transmition. It pained her to have to call up the remaining bounty hunters on Couruscant to find her reckless brother. She was going to lecture him for so long when she found him again. But until then, it had been over a week since the last sighting of the Jedi Master. He had been absent for the long awaited senate hearing he spent much of the year after the Battle of Endor lobbying for, giving the President his feeble excuse to close down the request for Luke's new Jedi temple. Of course Luke had refused Leia's advice to threaten to refuse to help the New Republic, and even most of the military threatening to reform the Army of the Light under the Jedi rather than the New Republic had been refused by Luke. Many systems had even decided to withdraw from the Republic. Luke was supposed to visit them too, but the dissapearance prevented this, and of course the planets immediately accused Fey'lya of assassinating the Jedi Master, banding together several armadas and threatening war. It didn't help most of Ackbar's Fifth Fleet had defected to them, as well as most of the sector fleet commanders. Much to Fey'lya's embarrassment, most of the Coruscant defence fleet had actually defected to join them. Save Coruscant and a few isolated sectors, most of the New Republic had defected to the self-proclaimed Galactic alliance of free states, suprisingly declaring the missing Jedi master the head of state, with Kerrithrarr, a Wookie who Luke had freed from the Emperor's slavery during the civil war, serving as acting head. It did not help that Fey'lya had supported delaying the liberation of Kashyyyk in a political move prior, as well as the Wookie's distain towards the Bothan's arrogance. This had led Leia in a mess. Truth be told she had considered the possibility Fey'lya in fact did murder her brother, even though the latter had saved the former at least once. It wouldn't suprise Leia, were it not for the fact there was a bigger fish to fry. Mara Jade had recently escaped custody, and Han was still off on yet another sudden trade negotiation for his ship building business. Leia couldn't blame him, truth be told she skipped meetings far often than he did, but it still hurt not having him by her side. Winter had just gone on vacation after finding out her family were supposedly killed in a chemical explosion. Leia hadn't even gotten time to say goodbye, too tied up in meetings to read the two messages Winter attempted to get through to her before just leaving. Leia felt guilt gnawing at her.

Another day of New Republic security sweeps had gone by with little success. Leia decided it was time for her to try a different approach. After she had put the Palace on lockdown, most meetings had been conducted at least in part via hologram. Most had been understanding and even supportive of the measure, save one very annoyed Bothan president. Leia decided she might as well use the time to search through Luke's room again before something happened. It wouldn't hurt to at least think of her brother and escape from yet more fruitless "meetings" which were little more than Fey'lya hurling insults at anyone who still bothered talking to him. Leia still remained confused how he had managed to win the election, silently cursing herself within for setting the term for a president at three years. If Luke didn't get found soon she just might go to lead the Galactic Alliance. Invading Coruscant would be easy enough-Fey'lya's approval rating was in the single digits. Leia felt thoughts run alongside the force as she stared out her suite.

Where in Corellia's hell was Han when she needed him?

Han was staring wide-eyed at the holo footage Mara brought him. Whatever the Sith Lord claimed, redemption and that load of shavit could get tossed down the trash compactor. Clearly documented was six full day's worth of torture, enough to give Han's Bespin night a run for its money. When even Mara Jade was pale faced Han knew he probably shouldn't have looked at it. Looking at the footage, he was confused when Luke didn't seem to react, as if immune. But past the fourth day, Han saw Luke slowly lose his calm and sanity. "Sithspit," Han muttered, and Mara simply nodded in agreement. If Luke was broken as much as the footage suggested, it left little to the imagination as to what the farm boy couldn't do. If Luke's insistance that Darth Vader was really the old clone wars hero Anakin Skywalker, then little prevented him from repeating another Galactic Civil War all over again. "Which is why we have to bring him back," Mara and Han skipped a heartbeat as a cold mechanical voice boomed from behind them. Both turned around in an instant, horrified to see the Sith Lord up and about again. But something was different. Somehow, both knew that Darth Vader wouldn't choke them to death, at least not yet. "Please, call me Anakin," he stated, and Han and Mara glanced at each other questioningly. 

Knowing he probably had to explain to Luke's friends to win their trust, Anakin recounted tales of the Clone Wars through to the present, in a few hours undenyably celemting Darth Vader and Anakin Skywalker as one person. The force ghost of one Padme Amidala had also regularly interrupted, and suprised both Mara and Han when Darth Vader and the ghost exchanged quips and taunts. When Anakin had finally finished recounting the past week of torturing Luke and his escape with a clone of Mara Darth Vader had made, earning Mara's death glare and Han's slight elation at having his theory proven correct, they begun to discuss possible plans. 

"Well for one I've just become the second most wanted being in the galaxy," Mara stated coldly. Han and Vader eyed her curiously, and she scoffed. "Yeah yeah, of course the number one spot went to Luke. What did you expect, Leia and all." Han let out a chuckle but immediately choked it down when the Sith Lord remained deadly silent, surveying Mara and probing her mind, much to her disgust. "Emperor's hand, say what you will, but if you harm my son in any way you will answer to me." 

Mara scoffed at this, retorting, "Well, Lord Vader, I can say the same for you. Hard as it may be to see I actually hurt him much less between the two of us. You are a horrible parent." Mara could feel her windpipe begin collapsing as she was lifted into the air, Darth Vader's growl piercing the room, "If you speak like that again next time you won't be alive to feel the pain." Mara fell to the ground gasping for air as a shocked Han recovered, helping her up. Spinning around and storming out of the room, he simply barked, "Get up. We have work to do." Han and Mara looked at each other uneasily, but seeing no other option, they silently agreed it would be better to follow than be dragged, especially with the Sith having split personality syndrome and just a bad day.

Racing to catch up to his long and bold strides, Mara remained silent, resisting the urge to speak lest she accidentally or intentially quip at the Sith lord. She had gotten used to taunting Luke. It seemed she should have been thankful, calmness certainly did not run through the Skywalkers. It was Han who spoke up, "So where are we going?" 

"To your ship, captain," Vader stated matter-of-factly, and Han couldn't resist but question, "Why not your ship?" The Dark Lord stopped suddenly, turning around to face a slightly nervous Han. "Because, captain, my ship fits one person, and I am sure you don't want to be shoved in the storage compartment with the Emperor's Hand. There is also the fact that I would get targeted the moment I took off, and while I can certainly take out their pathetic attempt of an air defence network, I haven't the luxury of time. Every moment that passes is another moment that Luke is with that failed experiment." 

Mara resisted the urge to challenge Vader for his insult at Mara's clone. While she probably wasn't Darth Vader's level, if her original self was anything to go by she would be a great assassin. There was also the fact that she was with Luke. The hours between the torture sessions where the holos mysteriously were turned off drew alarm bells in Mara. She somehow knew her clone had been with Luke during those dark periods. Force knows what she did then, but it seemed they were working together now. Which just served to make it that much harder to find them. Entering the turbolift waiting silently for them, Darth Vader stood ominously at the back as Mara and Han stared forward at the closing doors, feeling it shoot upwards towards the surface. So many questions still unanswered, even after a lengthy explanation of what Darth Vader had told them, if he could be trusted.

Anakin clearly heard these thoughts, simply stating, "If you have any questions, just ask. I will answer to the best of my ability. You have my word." Mara decided to take him up on this offer, asking him, "How did you manage to trick Obi-Wan and Yoda?" 

Anakin chuckled at this, telling them, "I didn't. I simply cut off them from Luke and conjured force projections of them. It helped that they could be crude and faded, making it less taxing to do and achievable from a distance as I left the planet from the dark side." 

Mara had to admit she was impressed by his force ability, but moreso his tactical thinking. She had thought that the Sith Lord was just a strong brute who hacked through whatever came before him until either it or he died. It seems she underestimated his cunning. Anakin felt a smile creep up his face behind the stone facade provided by his mask, telling Mara, "I was a general. Surely you don't think sheer power would have gotten me this far, do you?" 

Deciding she might as well ask the question before Anakin pried it out of her mind, she questioned, "Alright. On Bespin did you go easy on Luke?" 

"You tell me. I know you were watching the duel." Mara let out an audible gasp, completely baffled at how the Sith knew she was on Cloud City. Even the Emperor had thought she was on some desolate outer rim planet hunting down a spice cartel. "I thought that you went easy on him. He couldn't possibly have survived if you didn't." 

Anakin let out a chuckle, shaking Mara and Han to their cores. "Please. While your belief in my powers is...entertaining, surely you didn't think that I would have cut off his hand if I indeed exercised so much control? No...he appeared to be weak physically because I spent much of my energy attacking his mind with a probe. He unconsciously drained much of his energy fighting this, but I had to devote much of mine as well."

Mara nodded, understanding why the duel had seemed so slow and boring from her point of view. Luke had been more powerful that she admited then, perhaps even now. As if he would be killed by the silence, Han interjected, "Well, apparently every bounty hunter in the galaxy is looking for you Jade. Man you really pissed of Leia." 

She simply snorted in return, staring up at Anakin as if goading a response. Behind his mask, Anakin felt a very familiar grin spread across his face. "If I don't kill you, maybe you wouldn't make such a bad daughter-in-law," he said thoughtfully, leading Mara's jaw hanging agape and Han bursting out laughing. Anakin simply surveyed the two amused. A redeemed Sith Lord she long thought dead giving approval to marry a man she loved deep down but never cared to admit was not what she expected. "Not to excited now, young one. No one ever said you have my permission yet. Much less my wife's."

Han bit down his laugh, conscious Mara might decide to murder him lest he blabber. But his flushed face and eyes gave away his amusement. Mara tried to maintain a straight face, but couldn't help but blush at being exposed for her feelings, much less in front of the smuggler. "Not a word Solo, not a word," she simply said. The Dark Lord continued to watch amused. Saved by the chime signalling they had arrived at the hangar level, they exited the turbolift and walked towards the Millenium Falcon. Anakin had refused to wear a cloak or any disguise, simply knocking out anyone in the vicinity with the force and striding past collasped bodies. Mara couldn't help but cringe at this, even the assassin generally avoided civilian casualties. Most of Anakin's targets were clueless citizens just going about their business, in the wrong place at the wrong time. But neither challenged his methods. Both knew time was of the essence and that questioning Anakin would be ill advised given his short temper. Angering him, SIth Lord or not, was like mishandling a thermal detonator. It was usually the last mistake you ever made.

The Falcon whirred to life as a row of blue engines begun to glow, quickly shooting off the ship into hyperspace.


	11. Intimacy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke and Jade explore their relationship together. The past will come to haunt them. They will be forced to confront it.

Jade sat on top on Luke, both comfortably nested on the pilot’s chair of the Legacy, Luke’s sleek secret ship. Possessing the most advanced fire-back system honed in by force technology, unrivalled cloaking technology and enough supplies to last for a few months. Yet the ship designed by Luke himself was designed for one, not that sharing a bed was a problem in either of their minds.

Streaks of stars became white beams on the panoramic viewport. Normally only enjoyed so far as to allow for unparalleled maneuvers and better manual aiming in the hypothetical instances it was needed. Yet the ship’s fifty meter body remained pristine, coated in prototype quantum crystalline armour Luke had researched privately and untested in war. By most accounts she could have stood up to a heavy cruiser, or if used correctly, even a dreadnaught for a short period of time. But this only mattered to the couple so far as their mutual love for ships and technology. Right now, that was tucked deep in the back of their minds for a future friendly chat. Right now, they simply revelled in each other’s presences, looking at the stars passing by. 

“What do you think of when you see the stars?” Luke asked. Jade gave a non-committal grunt, content with lazily resting on Luke and taking in his warmth. “Jade?” 

At his beckoning, Jade reluctantly pulled away from Luke slightly and looking him in the eyes. “What? This better be good, making me leave your warm chest.” Luke smiled at this, staring at Jade with a love he never felt before. “What?” It was Jade’s turn to interrupt the other’s thoughts, and Luke was dragged back into reality, not that he was complaining about staring at Jade.

“I’m just curious what you think when you see the stars.” Jade flustered slightly, admonishing herself for failing to listen to her love talking. Thinking for a moment, she said thoughtfully, “I think of possibilities. I think of freedom. I think of the horizon I want to explore, force be willing with my husband.” Jade took in every moment of Luke’s beaming smile, feeling his radiating pride and joy like streaks of energy tingling her senses. 

By instinct, the couple pulled together for a long and passionate embrace. Jade felt Luke extending tendrils through the force, tapping lightly at her shields, still everpresent, and begging for entrance. To her surprise and Luke’s, she obliged, allowing their presences to feel and explore each other, like two black holes encircling each other, slowly melding into one. Each wandered through the other’s thoughts and feelings, their joy reverberating louder and louder as if they were in an echo chamber and they both screamed continuously. Their embrace was a song of emotion and expression, and each sung their part, complimenting each other’s harmonies, making themselves more stronger yet at the same time more dependant on each other.

Luke snaked his hands around Jade more firmly as she returned the favor with her legs, allowing herself to hang onto Luke as he carried her towards the bedroom, not one breaking their lip’s seal. Closed and satisfied eyes; soft and hungry moans. As the door snapped close, leaving the autopilot to do its job while both got a long overdue break. The mental walls they both held collapsed, allowing their pleasure to multiply exponentially. 

As they lay in bed, trailing kisses across each other on the bed, their bodies pressed tightly together under the blanket, creating a warm aura around them. “Stay with me forever Jade,” Luke pleaded between their kisses. Mara quickly promised, “Forever, Luke...forever.” Both laughed childishly through their bond at their attempts to talk, never slowing down their fervent kisses as they wrapped tightly around each other. 

As the Triumph soared through hyperspace, its pilots absent from the pilot chair, it followed its path, slowly moving along the line displayed on the holo. It would be several more hours before they made it to their destination, several hours Luke and Jade maximized to their benefit. 

When Jade woke up from a dreamy and heavenly sleep, the most relaxed she ever experienced, she was surprised to find Luke missing, though she guessed he hadn’t woken up much earlier than her given the bed was still warm. Taking in a whiff of his scent before reluctantly leaving the comfort of the blankets, she reached out through their bond, finding Luke outside the ship in what appeared to be a small house.

As she strode outside, still rubbing her eyes, Luke looked over from the outside grill apologetically. “Hope I didn’t wake you up, love,” he said cheerfully. He flicked his wrist, sending two pancakes onto a plate. Ignoring his showing off, Jade admitted her surprise. “So, you randomly have houses on planets no one else knows about, and managed to learn how to cook, in addition to your normal adventures and jedi training?” 

Luke casually shrugged, teasingly replying, “Well, I’ve never had a worthwhile distraction, until very recently.” Jade playfully scoffed at this, but admitted she loved him for it. “I’m glad,” she stated warmly before leaning in for a kiss. 

As they dug into Luke’s breakfast, Jade couldn’t help but ask, “So tell me, master jedi, how long can we stay here until we need to leave to get supplies.” 

Luke stared at her thoughtfully, setting down his fork and closing his eyes in concentration, before responding, “Never, if you are willing to eat ration squares for most of your life. I’ve got a small farm set up, and there are basic herbs and fruits in the forests, decent game too. Water shouldn’t be an issue given the stream nearby as well as the moisture collectors I have installed.”

Jade rolled her eyes at this, smirkingly replying, “Well, someone knows to be prepared.” Luke gently shook his head, truthfully admitting, “I was waiting to find someone like you.” 

Jade would have teased him, but she knew he was being completely truthful. She didn’t know much about romance, mostly focused on fighting and other useful skills, but she surmised this was what “normal” couples did. Luke simply beamed at her as he continued to eat. “Want some more syrup?” 

Jade shook her head, and they skimmed over various topics. Jade told Luke about her time with Vader, the times when she had tried to escape and how Vader had punished her. How the Sith Lord had given her a tutor, who forced her to learn to dance and have proper etiquette, in addition to galactic history and philosophy, a healthy dose of propaganda and most important everything about Luke. How she remembered resenting most of the classes, not least spending years learning about one man she didn’t even know then.

“Well I hope I didn’t disappoint,” Luke chuckled. Jade couldn’t think of a retort, so enveloped his lips with her. He chided her softly through their bond, but made no attempt to resist, leaving the remainder of their breakfast lying forgotten on the table as Jade instinctively led Luke towards the bedroom. Luke followed her lead, content with giving Jade what she wanted, and to be fair what he wanted.

“Sorry to disappoint, but I’m still a bit tired. Can you just hold me?” Jade said, expecting to feel disappointment but instead feeling relief. Did she do something wrong? Luke quickly brushed that concern aside, reassuring Jade that he was simply relieved owing to his fatigue from their very active session last night. The couple cuddled on the soft bed, staring out the window at the lush forest outside as the sun leveled several beams of sunlight. Luke rested his head on Jade’s shoulder as they lay on their side, teasingly moving his legs and causing Jade to unwillingly let out a moan. “You tease,” she whined, wiggling her body in retaliation and pleased when she made Luke groan. 

“Did I tell you mow much I love you?”

“Hmm. I’d say this would by the first time in the past three minutes,” Jade teased. Every other sentence Luke said was probably singing her praises or professing his love for her. But Jade didn’t find it tiring or annoying-she revelled in it: the feeling of being wanted. 

“What do you want to do for the rest of our lives?” Jade questioned,

“Hmm, anything with you sounds like heaven to me,” Luke said dreamily. Jade playfully rolled her eyes at Luke’s typical flattery. Regaining her composure, she let her desire be known to Luke.

“Would…Would you be willing to train me?” Jade asked, wondering whether Luke would even consider it.

“Of course,” he said without hesitation, completely catching Jade really off guard. “I would be honoured,” he added for good measure. Jade felt a glow in her presence, like a phoenix rising out in flaming glory. It felt so good to be wanted, to be loved, to have her feelings cared for. Not least by the single most desirable man in the galaxy. Luke picked up on her overwhelming joy, echoing with his own as their arms locked tighter than before. 

“What do you want to start on?” Luke asked. With little thought, Jade excitedly squealed, “Lightsaber training!”

Luke was slightly surprised, but rolled his eyes at himself. She was the adventurous type. Of course she would want to start with the glowing laser stick of death! That’s what he felt when he initially saw the blue blade of his father. The raw excitement of feeling the elegant blade simmer with heat. He wondered what Jade’s lightsaber training with Darth Vader was like.  
Jade felt Luke’s bubbling excitement match his own, making her feel ever more treasured by Luke. She knew he would have gone through fire if she said the word. She felt his thoughts flow freely through their bond, suddenly darkening at his curiosity towards lightsaber training with Darth Vader.

Jade felt the horrors flood her memory again. Darth Vader toying with her before running his blade through her back. The searing pain and Vader’s gloating. She couldn’t bring herself to hate Luke for it, he wasn’t responsible for it. But a part of her could not let go of the fact that the man was her tormentor’s son. 

Jade felt herself return to reality being shaken and staring into the worried face of Luke, his azure eyes looking deep into her. Visibly relieved when Jade returned, he tenderly wiped her sweat covered brow with one hand, running his other hand through her long red hair and offering reassurances through words and emotions in their bond. Jade looked at him slightly guiltily, knowing he probably picked up on her thoughts. “Look, I despise the man as much as you do. The first time we met for over five minutes he cut off my hand.”

Jade nodded solemnly. Among their shared interests, experiences and aspirations, being hurt by Darth Vader would be another thing they shared in common. “I will never let him hurt you,” Luke swore, and Jade believed him. She knew Luke would give his life before letting anything hurt her, and that thought both comforted and scared her. Comfort in knowing that Luke truly loved her that much; fear in knowing that the lengths Luke would go to for her. Jade had been controlled for much of her life, and she firmly believed that no one should exercise too much control over others. Luke trusted that she wouldn’t, completely opening himself to her. Jade wondered whether she deserved it.

“Of course you do, my love. You know I would do anything for you,” Luke said, noticeably relaxing when Jade nodded in understanding. Jade swore silently that she would do the same for Luke. That she would lay her life down for Luke if it came to it. Not because she was ordered to. Not because she had to. Because she loved him.

The couple nuzzled in each other’s warmth for several long minutes before finally moving back slightly, still within arm’s reach of each other and their intertwined hands never untangling. “Let’s start off light today, ok? Just a quick jog before some meditation, sound good?” 

Jade nodded, and changed into her sports gear, smirking at Luke blushing slightly at her tight fitting outfit. Then again, she was ogling at Luke’s well toned muscles. He gave a trademark grin, before challenging, “Try and keep up sweetheart.”

“No fair!” Jade protested as he bolted off, immediately giving chase. He turned for a split second and threw her a kiss before continuing into the dense vegetation, making Jade more determined than ever to catch up to Luke.

Running blindly into the vegetation, the leaves below her crunched as her boot dug deep into the ground for more traction, their owner determined to push as fast as possible. After several minutes, she admitted defeat, leaning against a tree and huffing. Suddenly she felt the air around her whoosh, drawing a vibro-blade out and pointing at an amused Luke who had dropped down from a tree. Scoffing, she shook her head, sheathing the blade and chiding him, “Show off. How are you not tired?”

Luke simply shrugged, offering her a canteen of water which she gratefully accepted. Gulping down the cool liquid, she felt satisfaction like drinking sweet nectar, taking half the canteen in one swoop. Glancing back affectionately at Luke while he rubbed off sweat and bits of mud from her face. Glancing around at the towering trees that appeared to stretch for miles, Jade asked, “Any idea where you brought us, master?” 

Luke smirked, taking her hand and closing his eyes. A blinding glow encased Jade, and she felt the world moving around her. When the light subsided, Jade looked around confused, seeing their house right in front of them. Looking questioningly at her lover, Luke chuckled at her confusion. “Force telepathy. If you want we could go for a quick flight.”

Jade hated her bubbling childish excitement, completely losing any shred of composure or coolness at the prospect of flying. Giving a mock glare at Luke, she told him, “Tell anyone I looked like this and I’ll break your legs.” 

Luke held his hands up in mock surrender, before holding her right hand with his left firmly yet tenderly, reaching out the molecules around them, pushing them aside and lifting her and Jade up. Jade squealed in excitement as their feet left the floor, slowly but steadily rising until they were above the treetops, staring at the vast forest stretching endlessly in three directions, in the south an ocean several kilometers away. Jade saw several flocks of birds flying in the distant, chirping out songs as they flew along the treetops, free-just like her now.

As they reached several hundred meters up into the air, Luke ceased the ascent, simply hovering on the spot before slowly moving forward, as if they were skating along an invisible floor above their home. At this moment, Luke produced a ring from his pocket, and Jade took in a breath, knowing what he would ask as well as her answer, but still irrationally nervous. 

Luke opened his azure eyes, looking straight at Jade’s emerald orbs, simply asking, “Jade, you mean the galaxy to me. Will you marry me, and stay with me?”

Jade held back tears, shakily nodding her head and leaning in for a slow and passionate kiss. It wasn’t as frisky or wild as some of their prior ones, but each felt a trove of emotions through their bond, holding each other in a tight hug.

Jade hugged Luke tightly, admittedly not just for affection but rather slightly scared to fall. Sensing this, Luke let his hover falter for a split second, sending them downwards in an instant and causing Jade to shriek. When she recovered, now fully wrapped around Luke tightly with both hands and feet. Luke simply looked at her amused, as she threatened, “Do that again and I’ll beat your sorry backside, husband of mine.”

Luke nuzzled his lips lightly against hers, eliciting a groan as he rebuked, “We both know you won’t do that. Deep down, you’re just a softie.” 

Jade chuckled with him, brushing her lips forcefully against him as she responded, “Only for you, love, only for you.” 

Luke felt himself tire, and slowly levitated them gently back to the ground. As they landed with a soft but satisfying thud, Jade lightly smacked Luke on the face, who feigned pain a little too dramatically to be taken seriously. Jade simply shook her head, wiping the smirk off his face with a kiss.

“Aww, my beloved jedi husband tired after flying?” She chirped. Luke gave a strained smile, unused to having to fly with a partner, not that he didn’t enjoy it. 

“A bit. Maybe my loving assassin wife could help my muscles relax.” Jade knew he was joking, but took him up on the offer anyways, moving to his back and motioning for him to lie down. Luke did just that and Jade set to work, rubbing her fingers at the tense spots on Luke’s back. He let out several moans of relief and pleasure, encouraging Jade to continue on. Luke fell asleep soon, and Jade amusedly lifted him to the bed carefully with the force, moving his arms to wrap herself within it like a cocoon, quickly falling asleep herself.

Jade found herself wandering peacefully through images of her and Luke together. But something was wrong, she knew it. A dark force surrounded her, moving her limbs while she was trapped, a prisoner in her own body. She felt her danger senses sound, whipping out her lightsaber with a snap hiss and plunging it behind her, turning around to face her attacker.

Jade was horrified, greeted by the shocked and betrayed face of Luke, his azure eyes refusing to meet her gaze as he sadly eyed the floor. Crumpling to the floor in a heap, Jade felt anger and frustration swell inside, a darkness bubbling out as she lashed out at the darkness. Her lightsaber was pulled away from her, but Jade didn’t care, blindly throwing punches and clawing at the empty air, made more frustrated by the retreating darkness.

Suddenly, Jade’s vision was completely covered by a blinding darkness before she woke up panting. She looked around confused, finding a familiar warmth wrapped around her like a blanket against a blizzard. She looked up to see her husband’s face, shocked to find bruises and claw marks dotting the surface of Luke’s face. Glancing down, she felt his entire body aching, still wrapped tightly against her.

“Jade, Jade, are you alright?” Luke asked, clearly scared and confused. Jade simply shook her head, throwing off Luke and running away. Away from him. She couldn’t bear to look at the hurt she did him. The voices were right-she didn’t deserve him.

She felt Luke run after her helplessly, stumbling as he limped as fast as he could while yelling for her to stop.

Holding back tears, Jade forced herself to brush her feelings aside. She needed to get as far away as she could from him.

Luke watched helplessly, his vision a patch of the dark outside and red stains of blood, unable to keep up with Jade’s fast shrinking silhouette.

Calling upon the force as it filled his sapped body with shreds of strength, Luke began slowly limping in the direction Jade left. Ringing pierced his ears, and his senses were a confused patchwork of pain and confusion, but he refused to stop. Jade needed him, and until his dying breath Luke would never give up. 

Jade ran for several minutes, still trying to process what was happening. One moment she had been with Luke cuddling on their marriage bed, the next she found a battered Luke watching her. 

Jade’s thoughts were interrupted by the snap of branches. She looked nervously at the direction, suddenly feeling helpless and vulnerable, even while brandishing a blade in each hand.

Jade didn’t know what she felt next. A tattered Luke emerged, managing only to utter, “Jade…” before collapsing on the floor, completely drained of all energy. 

Jade rushed towards Luke’s fallen body, desperately tapping into the force and sending tendrils of healing. She watched Luke’s body lie completely still, his heart beating faintly, which made Jade all the more nervous. She continued to channel her energy into healing Luke, sending everything she could through their bond but being greeted by an ominous silence. After several hours of this, Luke begun to stir, eyes hazy as he tried to lift himself up. Jade frantically held him down, ordering, “Don’t move, you’re hurt. Just stay.” 

Luke looked as if he was about to try and move anyways, so Jade added hastily, “Please? For me?” Luke seemed to resign with this, not attempting to move himself and allowing Jade to continue channelling energy into Luke. 

When he finally recovered enough to get up, in spite of Jade’s protests, he looked at her tired face, eyes drooping and hair in a fuzzy mess. Her jumpsuit was torn and shred all across her body, but she still was beautiful as always. Luke struggled to sit straight as the darkness briefly relapsed, but forced himself up to figure out how he could help Jade.

Jade looked at him slightly guiltily, blaming herself for hurting Luke so much. “It’s ok. I’m here for you Jade. You can tell me anything.” Jade felt herself weaken, melting into his arms as both fatigued lovers dropped to the floor in a tired slumber.

When she woke up, she was surprised to find herself on the comfortable and soft mattress of their home. Looking up, she saw Luke hissing and wincing as he applied a bacta patch to a large red cut across his abdomen.

Springing up in realization, Jade barked, “Luke what happened?” Luke turned around, offering her a weak smile before explaining, “We got attacked by a pack of wolves. Hungry bunch. Tried to teleport but was too weak, so I had to fight them off and carry you back.” 

Jade felt her jaw drop at this, amazed at Luke’s strength and resolve. He simply shrugged, finishing applying the bacta patch before turning to Jade. He limped across the room, plopping down on the bedside as Jade shifted to be beside him. Wrapping his arm around her, he rested his head against hers, asking softly, “Tell me more about your vision.” 

Jade gulped, but biting down on her doubt and summoning her resolve, explained to Luke, “I...I saw myself kill you, I...killed you,” Jade said before bursting into tears, burying her head into Luke’s chest. Luke hoisted Jade up and sat her on his laps, wrapping his arms protectively around her as he slowly rubbed his head against hers, feeling their hair rub against each other. 

“Well sorry to disappoint, but I’m alive,” Luke suggested, and Jade sniffed sadly before allowing a small smirk to spread across her face. “Only you can make me want to punch you and kiss you at the same time, Skywalker.”

“You love me for it,” he calmly stated, and Jade simply shook her head, tugging on his hand and pleading him to go to bed with her. Luke rolled onto the bed, wrapping himself around Jade as they both fell asleep exhausted. Their minds flowed freely into one another through their bond, and this time they both were in a serene peace, seeing visions of themselves together in the future.

When Jade woke, she felt Luke’s arms still wrapped around her snugly. She wiggled until she now faced Luke, his warm, exhausted breath tingling her face as she looked directly into his calm face, largely healed from her attacks but still holding some traces. “I’m sorry Luke,” she whispered, completely taken aback when Luke muttered, “Don’t be, my love. You have nothing to be sorry for.” 

Determined to see if he was just pretending to sleep and watching her look completely stupid talking to the air, she poked him in his ribs, eliciting a grunt but no laughter, clearly indicating that he was asleep. As if teasing her, Luke murmured, “That’s what you think love,” before returning to silence. 

Jade stared at her lover for a minute, as if wondering what she was supposed to do. Deciding whether he was teasing her or not he probably deserved a nice breakfast when he woke up after what she made him go through, she went into the kitchen.

She grabbed two nerf steaks from the freezer, turning on the cooking unit and humming as the meat begun to sizzle. After several minutes, she heard Luke get up, and sent a greeting through their bond. His reply was confused and tired, eliciting giggles from Jade as he staggered into the kitchen, still rubbing his eyes. Jade turned to greet him, wrapping in a hug before planting a kiss on his lips. 

Feeling the steaks were done, she lifted her left hand, commanding the steaks to land on the set plates of their dining table. The couple sat down, eating their steaks in a comfortable silence. Jade knew better than to press given Luke still looked half dead, resigning to throwing him smiles whenever he looked at her, evidently still concerned. His concern for his friends was what brought Luke many loyal friends. This care for Jade would always be one of the reasons she would love him so much. 

“Sorry for what I imagine must have been the worst wedding night in history. Luke let out a short chuckle before clenching his cracked rib in pain, causing Jade to instantly drop her cutlery with a clank and rush to his side. Knowing he would brush it aside, she commanded, “Show me.”

Luke looked like he was about to make some retort, but Jade’s determined look and his fatigue made him resign to her wish, and he lifted his shirt, revealing several deep cuts and scratches, as well as several noticeable bruises.

Flushing with embarrassment and horror, she asked, “Was that me?” Luke shook his head quickly, but Jade instantly knew it was her. Luke probably knew this too, as he ran his hand along her back while soothing her with comforting words. 

“I don’t deserve you,” was all Jade managed before shaking violently, only stopped when Luke wrapped himself around her again, his body weak but determined to hold on. Summoning her resolve, Jade returned the embrace, resting her head on his shoulders as he rested his on hers. After several minutes, they parted, hands interlocked as they stared at each other’s battered and bruised bodies. Luke jokingly stated, “You know, you look quite attractive like this. Gives you a rough edge.” 

Jade playfully elbowed him, before they leaned in for a short kiss before Luke pulled back. “Get some rest Jade.”

Jade reluctantly agreed after he gave her a pouting look, falling asleep before she could stop herself. Luke stared at his lover’s sleeping body, so gentle and peaceful in its current state. Returning to the task at hand, he reached out with the force, calling upon it to heal his lover. 

The red marks littering Jade’s body soon faded quickly, returning Jade’s nearly flawless skin to perfection. He then turned the healing tendrils on himself, slowly feeling the marring marks fade from his body. Sensing that Jade wasn’t completely relaxed, he positioned himself on top of her, massaging her back with his fingers softly and sensing her unconscious approval through the force.

When Jade awoke, she felt completely refreshed and relaxed, oddly healthy compared to the prior days. Walking towards the mirror, she was shocked to find her face completely healed, watching herself in disbelief as she moved her legs, testing them.

They were completely responsive, her reactions even faster than normal, which said a lot for the honed ex-hand. Wandering to the garden, she found Luke hovering above the air, rocks orbiting him like three orbital asteroid belts, orbiting slowly around Luke. 

A smile emerged on his face as the rocks slowed to a standstill, with Luke welcoming Jade. “I hope you are refreshed. I took the liberty to return the massage. I’m not as tender as you though, unfortunately.” 

Jade smirked at him, his self degradation making him more attractive to her by the second. “I take it we train with lightsabers today then.” 

Luke gave her a mock pout, “Why you wound me my dear. Taking away my surprise. If you please.”

He levitated her lightsaber towards her, still levitating above the ground with legs crossed and hands deceptively relaxed. Jade ignited the blade with a snap hiss, the blue blade by her side humming as eagerly as she was excited.

Luke simply shook his head, teasing, “Well on with it. If I didn’t know you better I would think you wanted to win by outliving me.” 

Jade simply snorted. If he thought he could bait her into attacking, she would hate to disappoint. Rushing forward with blade ignited, she tossed her lightsaber forward, like a spear heading straight for Luke.

The resting jedi master simply stared at the blade, and Jade was worried it might actually hit Luke, but the jedi master was just teasing, using the force to disassemble the blade and sending the parts around him, reforming the blade behind him and guiding it back to its owner.

Jade scoffed at this, reluctantly taking the blade hovering in front of her as she advanced more cautiously, tightening her grip on the blade. Without warning, Luke lunged forward at her, with one swift blow knocking the blade off her hand. “Your grip is too tight, try loosening it.” 

Jade huffed, again taking the now hovering blade and advancing towards Luke. He used no more tricks, himself eager to duel with a lightsaber. His green blade lit up, soon hissing against Jade’s blue blade.

Jade struck towards his legs, forcing him to take a step back as she leaped over him, almost landing a strike on his torso but being countered by his green saber, catching her blue blade. She deactivated her blade, slipping past his blade, but Luke simply ducked, swirling with an extended foot and knocking Jade to the floor. She landed with a thud, still holding her blade in front. Luke stepped back, giving her time and space to recover.

Once Jade was back on her feet, Luke begun pressing an attack, determined to hone in his skills. His green blade twirled elegantly as if Jade was surrounded by thirty of them, constantly forcing her to make awkward shifts to avoid getting caught. As she neared the edge, Jade knew that Luke would try and goad her into an attack, thus she refused, remaining on the defensive and trying to force Luke to be more conservative by attacking his wrists. 

Luke pulled his blade to the left, executing a wide arc sweep much to Jade’s surprise and delight. She ducked and stepped forward in one swift motion, deactivating her blade to pass Luke’s guard and preparing to reactivate it, but found his emerald blade pointed straight at her chin.

Jade sarcastically exclaimed, “Touche, master,” earning a playfully admonishing glare from Luke. “You’re good,” he commented, allowing Jade to beam with pride. “Why don’t we do some blade work. You have speed, you’d be perfect for more Ataru.” 

Luke moved to behind her, guiding her through several more complex feints. Jade watched as her hands feinted left before twisting elegantly to twirl on the right. Pleased with herself, she looked to Luke, who clearly approved to as he was beaming with pride having taught Jade. 

Jade levitated a canteen of water, taking a sip before offering it to Luke, who nodded in appreciation as he took his own sip, though Jade suspected it was more for her sake than his. The man hadn’t broken a sweat in the whole morning, much to her admiration and frustration. 

They waltzed hand in hand back in the house, Jade suddenly eying a distinct leather book she hadn’t seen before. As she reached out for it, Luke suddenly called out for her, and she pocketed the book, going to check on Luke.

“Jade, can you help me finish off this salad I left the protatoes outside.” 

Jade gave a sideway glance towards the neatly chopped protatoes beside the stove, but didn’t question him. He hugged her briefly and threw her a kiss before rushing outside, oddly radiating with a sense of elation. Jade felt for the book she took, but found it missing.

In the distance, Luke grinned. His surprise for her was safe.


	12. Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The return of the master as he must now reclaim his apprentice. An empire has been brought to its knees, yet not by Operation Cinder as intended. No, by the corrupt and weak New Republic. Now the master manipulator himself must work to complete his transformation of the last jedi and reforge a shattered Imperial order.

The late Emperor wandered the invisible plains. Defeated. He had been defeated by the Jedi Skywalker. No, not defeated. Betrayed. Betrayed by his foolish apprentice Darth Vader. That was why. He couldn’t possibly have lost. That wasn’t possible.

Wandering the galaxy, he scoured for a host, feeling the force slowly leach away at his power like metal slowly rusting in the open air. He needed to find a powerful enough body to implant himself in lest he lose more power and become too weak to confront Skywalker.

The Emperor had studied at the betrayal deeply. Truly he was impressed at the young Skywalker. Deny it as he may, the boy had become a master manipulator, turning his force forsaken apprentice in the critical moment. After the Death Star, the boy’s power had only grown, going so far as to take down his precious supply of clones on Wayland. Now he was left wandering in the forsaken force plain, away from his Empire as the moffs and admirals scrambled to secure their own interests. 

Another unexpected turn was his apprentice. Yes. The Dark Lord was more tactical that Sidious had given him credit for. Sure, he knew about Vader’s clone of Mara Jade. Initially, he had assumed it was because of her skill. Much as the dark lord expressed reserved contempt for his favourite hand, Sidious knew his apprentice admired her skill to a certain extent, albeit disapproving of her preference for stealth rather than brute force. Now the Emperor was nearly certain it was because of potential, potential Darth Vader recognized could challenge his position as the enforcer of the Sith. 

Musing over Darth Vader’s more subtle and manipulative tactics aside, Darth Sidious remained furious at the shattering of his vision. The Battle of Endor should have been his victory. His ultimate triumph over the force, light and dark. To turn the “chosen one” into his puppet and bend him to his will. But Anakin Skywalker had bested his apprentice in the critical junction, unceremoniously sending him down the reactor shaft. It was his favourite feature of the throne room too, sending gusts of wind and raw power as the station fired, allowing him to enjoy the sensation of the laser being fired at his enemies as he commanded it. Perhaps that was what caused his downfall. Arrogance.

In supposed death, he had been given the final piece of his training, just as Luke had been given his. Luke’s power now rivalled his own, and Vader’s hand now threatened to push him beyond Palpatine’s own abilities. He couldn’t allow that to happen. No, he would need to find a way to lure Skywalker away from that Jade and dispose of her. That should bring out the boy’s anger and darkness. Sidious had the pleasure of witnessing him get broken by Darth Vader. But now it was up to him. But then there was a problem of getting to the boy. No, for all the power he commanded the boy’s location remained elusive. Invisible to the force. It didn’t make him any happier that Skywalker had been smart enough to set up decoy “voids”, as Palpatine put it. Machines meant to replicate his force signature through blocking out various chemicals and manipulating the air flows. Crude but admittedly effective, Palpatine admitted. 

Normally Palpatine could have wandered through a vassal until a more permanent host could be employed, but many of his stronger adepts had been on the Death Star with him, others killed by Skywalker in the years he went dark, more still gone off on their own paths.

The traitors would be dealt with in due time, but first he needed a vassal. Without a host, it was only a matter of time before he faded into the force itself, the concentrated mass of dark energy he amassed over his life slowly unravelling before his eyes. No. He would have to act quickly. He brought down the Republic. He could do the same for any man, powerful or not. 

But first, a vassal. There were enough mediocre hosts, certainly. In his weakened form, Leia would be too difficult to take over, alluring as the prospect was. Otherwise, his old apprentice Mara had been too well trained by Luke, who had to remove his backdoor. The nerve of the boy! 

As Palpatine muttered to himself, pouring over the limited selection given to him, he spotted one interesting individual. A young boy, confused and angry, not very powerful but good enough for the time being. Only just over 20 years old, the brown haired boy was remarkably similar to the Anakin Skywalker of old. Good, Palpatine thought. He charted his course, slowly wandering towards Kyp Durron’s force presence.

Kyp looked around confused, suddenly feeling weak and hazy. Black tentacles surrounded his vision, pulling and tugging at him as it mocked him. Then his worst nightmare showed up. Palpatine. “It can’t be,” he weakly muttered, before falling, leaving his body unguarded and ripe for the late Emperor’s taking. Awakened in this body, Palpatine bent his fingers, testing his new host. Trapping Durron’s mind in a mental prison, Palpatine now had the body he needed to reclaim control. All that was left was to find a way to bait Luke to a location of his choosing. 

He knew there would be one weapon left to do that. One shot left. Looking down at his body, he found himself wearing a black cloak. Excellent, he thought to himself. The kid had style.

Kyp watched helplessly through the black bars at the decrepit face of the Emperor. It should have been impossible, yet here he stood before Kyp, taking control of his body. The face that he had grown up fearing. Durron felt disgust and contempt at his captor. Palpatine seemingly felt this, and let out a maniacal laugh. This caused Kyp to unwillingly cringe, watching out the viewports. Then he realized those weren’t viewports. Those were his eyes. He was truly a prison in his body now.

Kyp watched in confusion as the Emperor piloted a ship to some gas giant, seemingly headed straight for the core. For a moment, he wondered if the Emperor was commiting suicide, but then a mysteriously shaped ship came up.

Painted a tan colour with an odd viewscreen, the ship seemed ancient, having a strange elongated shape and seemingly minimal weapon systems. As they docked with a slight rumble, Kyp watched himself board the ship, undocking soon and leaving his ship to drift into the oblivion of space. As the ship jumped to hyperspace, Durron had a bad feeling about what was to come. Deciding to try and break free of his restraints, he quickly was staring at the menacing yellow orbs of the emperor through blue sparks, as he was shocked by torrent after torrent of lightning somehow emerging from his fingertips. 

Kyp wrenched in pain, curling up dejected as the Emperor sneered, “You fool. Disturb me again and I will end your pitiful existence.” Kyp never muttered another word before they exited hyperspace. He stared out at the system. Probably in the outer rim by his guess. Not familiar from his experience while studying. 

Palpatine set to work, tugging at familiar controls through the force while perched on the pilot’s chair deceptively lazily, like a tiger waiting to pounce on its prey. Staring at the planet of Lianna, its few cities dotting the vast green plains on the planet, though a noticeable number of grey and brown patches were visible, probably the result of corporate exploitation.

Deciding to toy with his prey, he spoke to his prisoner, “Young Durron. Tell me, what do you see in front of you?” 

At first Kyp refused to answer, but at a snarl and the raised fingers, threat clearly implicated, he said curiously, “Some sort of agricultural world, probably slowly degrading from corporate abuse.” 

“Interesting,” Palpatine mused. “Now watch the power I can wield.” 

Using the force to pull one final master lever, the ship turned away from the planet surface and into the nearby sun. Two pink torpedoes were launched, hurling towards the sun as Palpatine watched with glee, Kyp in fear and horror. 

Soon, a blinding flash engulfed, shaking the ship to its core and distant eruptions audible. Kyp suspected that he was dead, but seeing his prison cage still intact and the Emperor still watching at the asteroids in front of the viewscreen in glee. But something was wrong. There was no light, only a hollow darkness. Looking more closely at the asteroids, Kyp’s eyes widened in shock. There were the remains of buildings dotting some, badly charred by what Durron suspected was the eruption of the sun. 

The Emperor, seemingly content with the scene of death and destruction, began to plot a new course in the navichart. But Kyp didn’t care. He curled on the floor, wheezing at the scene that just unfolded. It couldn’t be! Both Death Stars had been destroyed, and even they supposedly could only destroy a planet. But he knew his eyes didn’t lie. He just witnessed the deaths of millions if not billions of people.

As if not the thought wasn’t torturous enough, Palpatine snarled, “That world was Tianna. You might not know it, but it feeds this system and the next one over. With it gone, well, let’s just say people will hunger for the return of my Empire and scraps of food on the table.” 

His laughed echoed endlessly in Kyp’s mind, causing him to howl in disgust as he curled up, trying to block the hideous voice from his ears by covering his ears desperately with both hands slammed tight, never able to block out the voice that teased him, seemingly getting louder and louder. The last thing Kyp remembered before passing out was a charred red planet appear on the viewscreen, surrounded by the remains of ships and asteroids. 

“Now we wait.” These ominous words leached onto the fears of Kyp, as he felt a new dread emerge within him. There was only one person in the galaxy the late Emperor could possibly care so much about to wait for. Luke. Skywalker.


	13. Confrontation

As Luke landed on the charred and barren surface of Malachor, a single figure waited on the surface, clearly anticipating his arrival. Deciding there was little point in resisting, Luke set the ship down, lowering the ramp and checking to see that the figure still remained motionless before walking out of the ship. In front on him was a brown hair, brown eyed boy, possibly in his early twenties. HIs face was normal, yet the dark side's aura radiated from his pores like a black hole's power seeping into the side, latching and leeching onto anything it could get its twisted tenticles onto.

"Welcome young Skywalker. I knew you would come," an ominous voice that could only be the late Emperor's softly stated. Luke recoiled in disgust and horror, much to the Emperor's amusement. "Ah, young Skywalker. Did you truly think that you could kill me so easily? You may have destroyed all my clones, but I am alive and well, as you can say."

The Emperor, or the host body that he controlled, broke out a snarl, raising his fingers and conjuring up several bolts of lightning. Luke simply raised his hands, and the lightling dissipated into the think air. "Very good. You have improved vastly since we last met, young Skywalker. But your mental shields remain weak. Even now, I can tell your greatest fear, yes."

The words rolled of the tongue like a serpent's hiss, causing Luke to cringe and try to concentrate on his mental barriers. But a part of him knew he had been too foolhardy, and that the Emperor already latched into his mind. All he could do now was try and stall for time and avoid thinking about Jade. "I see you remain arrogant as always. So tell me, why has the great lord of the sith resorted to latching on the body of a child?"

The Emperor's eyes narrowed as the dark aura surrounding him radiated more ferociously than ever, almost causing the very air beside him to vibrate and tremble in fear. Luke simply chuckled, goading the Emperor with his trademark grin. The Emperor was not amused at being taunted by the young boy, and simply snarled, "You fear for the safety of my apprentice's clone of Mara Jade. Yes, you fear her leaving you, losing her. I can feel it in you. The feeling of leaving her behind to find me, knawing at you knowing that at any moment a bounty hunter might decide to show up on her doorstep, or better yet the planet is scortched by one of my ships. Surely the training you gave her could not help her fly into space, young Skywalker." 

His laugh echoed along the emptiness of the planet, and Luke snapped, launching a sudden force push at the Emperor. Not expecting such a show of force, the Emperor flew back, landing on the ground with a thud and sending sand and ash into the air. Brushing himself as he got up, the Emperor praised, "Good. Your power is begining to show. Now use your hatred. End me."

"With pleasure," Luke said, a fiery determination within his mind as he lunged at the Emperor, sending bolts of force judgement. The Emperor raised his own hands, straining slightly as he was still not fully accustomed to Kyp Durron's body. But his power was sufficient for the time being, and he was determined to draw out more anger from Skywalker. Something was wrong, the boy had not outright refused to use the dark side, a thought that both pleased and scared the Emperor. 

Slowing him down by launching his own force lighting, bolts of orange and blue exploded in blinding flashes as the stale air molecues were ripped apart violently. Both master's hands shook violently as they poured their force energy into sending more powerful bolts at each other, the meeting point of their bolts never shifting in spite of both's increasing efforts. Straining slightly, the Emperor teased, "Do you think that Jade is truly safe. Naive and hopeful as always. You must realize that I am only stalling, or you would have been defeated long ago."

Sensing Skywalker was none the wiser to his weakened state and still believing he had the reach and influence of his old self, Palpatine took in the tremours of the force, which began to reel to the fingertips of Luke, the emerald bolts inching closer to the Emperor. Sensing that he needed to recover lest he exhaust this body, Palpatine sent a wall of ash and sand into Skywalker's face. Dazing him long enough, the Emperor whipped out his lightsaber, refusing to dignifying running. Running was for the weak. 

Green blade met red as Luke lunged at the Emperor, the violent cackle of their coloured blades searing the air in the immediate vicinity. The two masters stared each other down, waiting for the other to make a move. Luke jerked to the left slightly, and Palpatine seized on this, launching his iconic forward thrust. Luke brought his blade round, catching the crimson blade as it cracked mere centimeters from his face. With a flick of his wrist, he whirled his green blade dangerously close to the Emperor's own head, who lept back with a snarl. 

To his suprise, the Emperor deactivated his lightsaber. Luke resisted the urge to charge, lamenting he would have to sacrifice the edge he only managed to achieve with great difficulty, centering his balance and reaching out with the force to prepare himself for one of the Emperor's attacks. The force swirled around him, forming a ring of ash and sand with its invisible tenticles, and Palpatine at its epicenter. Luke managed to create a barrier with the force as debris pounded and slugged away at him, bouncing off to rejoin the storm or disintegrating.

As Luke pushed closer towards the Emperor, he decided to take a new tactic, calling upon the force to probe Palpatine's mind. The Emperor at this moment was so engrossed at the thrill of manipulating his force storm that he failed to notice Luke enter his mind, freeing Kyp Durron. The storm died just as quickly as it surfaced, and Palpatine's force presence looked down to see a lightsaber through his chest. As he slowly faded away, confined to wander the galaxy as a phantom for the time being, he promised Luke he would return.

Kyp Durron introduced himself nervously to the legendary Jedi Master Luke Skywalker. Luke told him to join him on his ship, and explained to Kyp of the Emperor's force entity taking over control of his body. Saved from having to explain randomly attacking the war hero without being able to control himself, Kyp found himself in Luke's debt, telling him as much.

Luke turned to Kyp, his azure eyes brimming with hope and confidence as he told the young boy, "I want you to take this meditation ring. It helps you force presence. Take these holos and go find Leia Organa. You will train together in the ways of the force." Smiling, at Kyp, he pressed the ramp controls, and only now did Kyp get over the awe of meeting Luke Skywalker to find that they had landed on some developed planet. "Goodbye Kyp. Perhaps one day we will meet again."

Kyp took this as his cue to leave, stepping out of the ship and watching it quickly lift off again, shooting off for the stars. Kyp pinched himself and rubbed his eyes to confirm this wasn't just a dream. Looking at his hands, he just finished processing meeting perhaps the two most influential figures in galactic history. Fingering the ring Luke gave him before putting it on, he felt his fear and turbulant emotions fade away, replaced with a resolute determination to find Leia Organa and train in the ways of the force.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading up to this point! Well I'm still writing the next part of the story, and I have to deal with revision and homework, so well, patience I guess. For those curious I'm still working on the Thrawn idea, though it's actually coming together in a whole different universe, so I might just end up doing some sort of sci-fi military saga instead.


End file.
